Devil diet bites hard

Lead-contaminated meat may hinder breeding program success

THE Save the Tasmanian Devil Program has changed how it prepares food for its captive-bred devils after research found their reproductive health could be hindered by high blood-lead levels potentially linked to the bullets used to kill the animals they eat.

Testing of the blood-lead concentration of devils at sites throughout Tasmania revealed significantly higher levels of lead in the blood of those that were captive and older.

The research, published this month in the Australian Veterinary Journal, said this could be because they were fed possums and wallabies shot with ammunition containing lead.

Lead intoxication had the potential to impair the reproductive fitness of captive Tasmanian devils, the researchers said, which could in turn hinder the success of the state’s devil breeding program.

“The decreased reproductive success observed in female captive Tasmanian devils may be the result of repeated exposure to low levels of lead and it would be worthwhile investigating blood levels in individuals showing signs of decline in breeding output,” the study said.

Blood-lead concentration significantly dropped when the heads of carcasses fed to devils were removed, the study said.

It noted possums and wallabies were shot in the head by hunters.

The researchers from the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, a French veterinary institution and the University of Sydney said their findings highlighted the importance of controlling the quality of the food fed to devils.

“We recommend that institutions housing carnivorous species, fed with shot animals, discard potentially lead-contaminated tissues prior to distribution to captive animals,” the study said.

It also suggested further study into the effect lead exposure had on the reproductive output of the devils.

A Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment spokeswoman acknowledged the study.

“While investigations into lead levels have not shown any health impacts on our captive bred devils, as a precaution the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program has made changes to how food for captive devils is prepared,” she said.

The study was titled “High blood lead concentrations in captive Tasmanian devils: a threat to the conservation of the species?”.