OTD 21.5 May 21st Traditional Cache

OTD - 21:5 

Perhaps you want a smiley for every day of the year or maybe a birthday smiley. For whatever reason these 12 mini monthly power trails are here to be found. Most are easily located, with an occasional sneaky one in the mix, sat lock can be difficult in some areas.

Here are some facts for this day. You are welcome to log your interesting, quirky or fun fact/s with your log.

On This Day - May 21st 2008

It is reported that the Tasmanian government has declared the Tasmanian Devil an endangered species.

The Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus Harrisii, is a dasyurid, or carnivorous marsupial, now endemic to the Australian island state of Tasmania. There is fossil evidence to suggest that this marsupial was once found on the mainland, but it is believed that the introduction of the dingo by the Australian Aborigines created too much competition for food, leading to the extinction of the Tasmanian Devil on the Australian mainland.

A nocturnal hunter, the Tasmanian Devil eats other mammals, and is an opportunistic feeder, readily eating carrion and roadkill. However, once European settlement in Australia began, the Tasmanian Devil population suffered a major decline, as farmers believed it was a threat to their stock, and tended to shoot the animal on sight. A further major threat to the Tasmanian Devil has been the emergence of DFTD, Devil Facial Tumour Disease, which causes facial lesions that increase in size until the animal can no longer eat, and thus it becomes susceptible to infections.

DFTD has caused a massive blow to the Tasmanian devil population, reducing numbers by 64% in the decade to 2008. On 21 May 2008, it was reported that the Tasmanian Government had officially declared the Tasmanian Devil to be an endangered species.