In 1996, the first official case of devil tumor facial disease was reported. Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) is the name given to a fatal condition in Tasmanian devils which is characterised by the appearance of obvious facial tumours.

DFTD is extremely unusual as it is only one of a small number of recorded cancers that can spread like a contagious disease. DFTD is passed from devil to devil through contact, including biting associated with copulation and fighting. The live tumour cells aren’t rejected by the devil’s immune system because of the cancer’s ability to ‘hide’ from the immune system.

The size of small dogs, Tasmanian devils became the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world following the 1936 extinction of thylacines (Thylacinus cynocephalus), known as Tasmanian tigers or Tasmanian wolves. Thylacines lived on continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea.