The real Tasmanian Devil has taken a beating lately. THere is a facial tumour which has spread through the population like wildfire, mostly around the mouth through wounds sustained in fighting. It ends up causing death because the animal can't eat. I don't think it is strictly-speaking a cancer, but is cancer-like. I believe it has decimated the population, with about 10% left from 10 years ago. I have heard that it is so rampant because the Devil has such a narrow gene pool. The animal is about the size of a stocky Scottish Terrier, with a funny ungainly gait and a weird howl, which i suspect the early settlers would have thought was rather devilish and thus gave it this name. Otherwise, it is a useful scavenging, pretty harmless carnivore if you leave it to itself. Since it is not found anywhere else, the Devil is somewhat of a Tasmanian mascot.