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kdavidson's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Was a quick read, more focused on the details of its findings and public perception in history. Did focus a lot on the Disney character Taz, which I found irrelevant. Good and easy read though.
linguistenthusiast21's review against another edition
5.0
This was very insightful. I'm even more aware of the Tasmanian Devil as an animal and its history with Australians and their views on the animal from the 1800's onwards.
linguistenthusiast21's review against another edition
5.0
This was very insightful. I'm even more aware of the Tasmanian Devil as an animal and its history with Australians and their views on the animal from the 1800's onwards.
lisa_setepenre's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading Tasmanian Devil: A Unique and Threatened Animal more than I enjoyed reading David Owen's [b:Thylacine: The Tragic Tale of the Tasmanian Tiger|1609359|Thylacine The Tragic Tale of the Tasmanian Tiger|David Owen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1185829024s/1609359.jpg|1602924]. I felt as though the writing style was a step up (possibly due to co-author David Pemberton?) and the story was less tragic. After reading this, I cannot take any reading that suggests the devil is anything but an adorable badass.
Owen and Pemberton trace the devil's origins and history within Australia, tackling not only how it came to extinction on the mainland and how it survived white settlement in Tasmania when the thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) didn't, but also discussing Looney Tunes' Taz and concluding with final chapter dedicated to the tragedy of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease.
Obviously, it's a great resource on the devil and does much to combat the devil's poor reputation. Plenty of personal stories about the devil allow its character to be glimpsed. Like I said: it's an adorable badass.
As with Owen's Thylacine, Tasmanian Devil: A Unique and Threatened Animal was published in the early 2000s and then reprinted in 2011, without revision. Some things have changed: a disease-free colony has been set up on Maria Island, but more things have stayed the same: the 1080 poison is still being used (at the ZooDoo wildlife park, we were told that they no longer brought roadkill in to feed their devils due to the risk of 1080 poisoning) and primary industry is the government's priority (the federal government plans to allow logging in Tasmania's World Heritage-listed Tarkine Forest).
Apart from the need for some updated information, Tasmanian Devil: A Unique and Threatened Animal is well-worth the read. It's perfect for someone like me who lacks the specialist knowledge. Everything is well-explained and written for a general audience.
Owen and Pemberton trace the devil's origins and history within Australia, tackling not only how it came to extinction on the mainland and how it survived white settlement in Tasmania when the thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) didn't, but also discussing Looney Tunes' Taz and concluding with final chapter dedicated to the tragedy of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease.
Obviously, it's a great resource on the devil and does much to combat the devil's poor reputation. Plenty of personal stories about the devil allow its character to be glimpsed. Like I said: it's an adorable badass.
As with Owen's Thylacine, Tasmanian Devil: A Unique and Threatened Animal was published in the early 2000s and then reprinted in 2011, without revision. Some things have changed: a disease-free colony has been set up on Maria Island, but more things have stayed the same: the 1080 poison is still being used (at the ZooDoo wildlife park, we were told that they no longer brought roadkill in to feed their devils due to the risk of 1080 poisoning) and primary industry is the government's priority (the federal government plans to allow logging in Tasmania's World Heritage-listed Tarkine Forest).
Apart from the need for some updated information, Tasmanian Devil: A Unique and Threatened Animal is well-worth the read. It's perfect for someone like me who lacks the specialist knowledge. Everything is well-explained and written for a general audience.
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