A Tasmanian devil breeding program to support wild recovery.

Abstract

Tasmanian devils are threatened in the wild by devil facial tumour disease: a transmissible cancer with high fatality rate. In response, the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program (STDP) established an “insurance population” breeding program across Australia. The program includes a range of institutions, from zoo-like intensive enclosures to larger, more natural environments. This structure is designed to enable preservation of genetic diversity as well as natural behaviours of devils. In our genetic research, we have provided data to help the STDP reach its goals for the breeding program. These include studies of the determinants of breeding success in captivity and the wild, as well as genetic analyses to provide resources for management of the species and support devil conservation. In this review, we highlight the variety of valuable questions that have been addressed by this work and the conservation outcomes that have resulted. Overall, the devil breeding program provides a valuable example of how genetic research can be used to understand and improve reproductive success of threatened species.