Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Tasmanian devil is critically endangered due to Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a rare transmissible cancer. Spread through biting (common in feeding/mating), DFTD causes large facial tumors that prevent eating, leading to starvation. Since the 1990s, populations have declined >90% in some areas. Conservation efforts include captive breeding, vaccine research, and habitat management, but the species remains on the brink.