devil facial tumour disease (dftd) is an aggressive non-viral clonally transmissible cancer which affects tasmanian devils, a marsupial native to australia. dftd was first described in 1996. in the subsequent decade the disease ravaged tasmania's wild devils. affected high-density populations suffered up to 100% mortality in 12–18 months. between 1996 and 2015, dftd wiped out 95% of affected colonies.