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After years of disinterest, Looney Tunes studio teams up with State of Tasmania to help save the Tasmanian Devil from extinction.
(Source:Big Cartoon Database) Warner Bros. finally got off its ass to help save the Tasmanian Devil from extinction. The studio inked a deal with the island state of Tasmania to allow the Tasmanian government to sell up to 5,000 giant plush toys of the Looney Tunes character. The toys debut Wednesday, retailing for $49.95 AUD each. The money raised (hopefully around $200,000 AUD) will go to try and save the creatures from extinction. Now an outbreak of Devil Facial Tumour Disease, a communicable cancer, has wiped out half of the wild population, putting the Tasmanian Devil on the "Vulnerable" list. The cancer, transmitted between the devils when they fight, creates large tumours on their faces, interfering with eating and respiration. The animals often die of starvation. The Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil (also known as "Taz") first appeared opposite Bugs Bunny in the Robert McKimson's 1954 short Devil May Hare, and was an instant hit with audiences. The only characteristics the cartoon character shared with its real-life counterpart were its voracious appetite and foul temper. "Taz" made millions of dollars for Warner Bros., which trademarked the name. The state of Tasmania asked to use Taz's image to promote tourism in 1997, but the film studio demanded too much money. In 2003, WB expressed concern about the disease but wasn't willing to help financially. Long considered violent pests, the foul-tempered marsupials (Sarcophilus laniarius) were hunted to extinction on the Australian continent. A similar pogrom existed on Tasmania, until they were declared a protected species in 1941.
The copyright of the article WB to save Tasmanian Devil in Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish WB to save Tasmanian Devil in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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