In 1996, Tasmanian wildlife biologists encountered a mysterious outbreak of rapidly growing facial tumours in Tasmanian devils. The disease spread through the population with the speed and behaviour of a viral epidemic, causing ulcerated head and neck masses and near-uniform mortality. Early investigations focused on a viral aetiology, echoing the historical journey of human head and neck oncology in the search for tumour-causing pathogens such as EBV and HPV. However, genetic and cytogenetic analysis revealed an extraordinary twist, the cancer itself was the infectious agent, not a virus. Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) was identified as a clonal allograft passed between devils during biting, making it one of only three naturally occurring transmissible cancers in mammals. The tumour immune evasion is remarkably similar to that seen in viral-mediated human cancers. This presentation uses the Tasmanian devil as an unconventional but powerful case study in cancer biology, illustrating how a head and neck tumour can spread through a population in ways that mimic viral transmission. By comparing DFTD with HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer, we highlight shared themes of immune escape, mucosal tumour biology and population-level prevention strategies. From a suspected virus to a contagious cancer, the Tasmanian devil offers a uniquely Australian lens through which to explore the history and science of head and neck oncology. 1. Siddle HV, Kaufman J. How the devil facial tumor disease escapes host immune responses. Oncoimmunology. 2013;2(8):e25235.