Never before seen footage of the Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian devil is under serious threat of becoming extinct in the wild. Instead of protecting this Australian icon, mining companies are proposing to trash their habitat, all for a quick buck.

They say there's nothing to worry about, but we've just released hidden camera footage that proves them wrong. Check it out here.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has so far resisted calls to give the Tarkine wilderness area, home of the last healthy grouping of Tassie devils, Emergency Heritage Listing. But as we've proven before, he can't continue to ignore this issue if he gets enough pressure from his colleagues. Your local MP has the power to change that by letting him know it's an important issue for their constituents.

Will you ask your MP to stand up and defend the last healthy wild devil population in the world?

www.getup.org.au/devils

Scientists tell us that the new roads and traffic created by strip mining the ancient Tarkine rainforest will increase the spread of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease - a deadly virus-like cancer that is already driving the Tasmanian devil population towards extinction.

What the devils need is Emergency Heritage Listing for the region they inhabit. This kind of listing would ensure the greatest amount of independent scientific scrunity possible is given to the proposed mines in the Tarkine. That's why we all need to take this opportunity to urge our local MPs to call on Tony Burke to take immediate action to protect the last healthy Tasmanian devils:

www.getup.org.au/devils

As leading wildlife expert and former chief scientist in the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program Professor Hamish McCallum has said:

"There is sufficient evidence to suggest that it may threaten the survival of populations of Tasmanian devils in the area1."

Locals have been campaigning vigorously against Venture Minerals proposals to build three open cut and strip mines in the Tarkine, but now they need your support.

Our elected members right across the country have a responsibility to stand up for the things we care about. In non-election times the only way we can make sure they know what we want them to act on is to let them know directly, by telling them.

Can you send your MP a quick message asking them to lobby Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to urgently enact the Emergency Heritage Listing for the Tarkine?

www.getup.org.au/devils

Thanks for all you do,
the GetUp team.

PS - Two of the Venture Mines will only operate for just two years! The mining industry is out of control, so let's do what we can to save the Tarkine for the Tassie devil and for future generations of Australians to enjoy. Find out more and contact your MP here: www.getup.org.au/devils

1Mines may endanger one of last healthy devil populations. The Australian. July 23, 2012.