Handsome Devils to the rescue in Extinction Sucks

WWF 24 Apr 09;

Australians Aleisha Caruso and Ashleigh Young enlist the help of a posse of “handsome devils” in this week's episode of Extinction Sucks as they join the fight to save the iconic Tasmanian Devil from a deadly disease.

The Devils – made famous in the Warner Brothers cartoons – could disappear within twenty years because of a horrific facial cancer which causes the animal to die of starvation. Scientists are baffled and are struggling to find a cure before it's too late.

Aleisha and Ash hold a “handsome devils” fundraiser, and persuade five hunky guys to sell kisses and cakes at a nightclub, They raise enough money to buy motion-activated camera traps which they then donate to the conservationists working with the remaining Tasmanian Devil populations. The cameras enable scientists to observe these unique creature and better understand how the disease is spread.

Extinction Sucks is a unique co-production between WWF and Babelgum to bring high-quality conservation programming to web audiences. It's thought to be the first time that an online video channel has commissioned original, full-length wildlife shows specifically for the internet. The series is being broadcast over a six week run on www.panda.org and www.babelgum.com. Other programmes see Ash and Aleisha raise funds for WWF programmes protecting elephants in India and rhinos in Nepal threatened by poachers, and rare dolphins in New Zealand.