Marian Devil Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring

Legendary Tasmanian devil faces relocation or extinction

Australia is working to save the Tasmanian devil from extinction. Plagued by a contagious cancer, the carnivorous marsupial is dying out on its eponymous island. Scientists have sent nearly 50 of the beasts to zoos and want to move 30 more to nearby Maria Island, a former prison site that's now a wildlife sanctuary. While some worry about how the devils will interact with birds and other critters that call Maria home, others say it's worth the risk: "This is a very unusual situation, and very unusual situations require unusual action," said University of Tasmania researcher Hamish McCallum, noting, "I don't want to get into an argument about whether a devil is worth more than a forty-spotted pardalote." And really, who does? Assuming the project goes forward, here are a couple of tips we found on a reputable site: "Taz does not like being caged. He has a tendency to break free. ... Only the most foolhardy and greedy of treasure seekers, Daffy Duck, would dare to attempt to capture the beast."