Uploaded July 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

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In this film scientists explain how they identified Devil Facial Tumour Disease as a transmissible cancer that is spread when Tasmanian devils bite each other. This cancer is spreading through the Tasmanian devil population and leading to a massive reduction in the numbers of devils in the wild.

This video is from 'Saving the Devil' -- a multimedia resource that tells the story of the Tasmanian devil and how science, in particular genomics, is playing a role in trying to save the species from extinction.

Find out more about cancer on our website here: yourgenome.org/theme/is-cancer-a-genetic-disease