Tuesday

Although it has been considered extinct for nearly 80 years, the Tasmanian tiger has been declared to still be alive by a group of British naturalists. 

The team of investigators from the Centre for Fortean Zoology, is currently in Tasmania looking for clues to prove the 'thylacine', commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger, still exists. The Tasmanian tiger resembles a striped elongated dog and was zealously hunted by Europeans due to fears that it would be a threat to sheep herds.

Despite the fact that the last known animal died in the Hobart Zoo on 7 September 1936, the group claims to have gathered compelling evidence of it's presence in the remote parts of Tasmania’s north-west. They claim that it has 'highly credible' witnesses and has found animal feces that could belong to the extinct animal. The droppings have been preserved in alcohol and are being sent away for DNA analysis.

According to Richard Freeman, zoological director of the organization, “The area is so damn remote, there are so many prey species and we have so many reliable witnesses who know the bush that I’d say there is a reasonable population of them left,” he said. “I’d say there are more of them around in the world than Javan rhinos.” The WWF estimates that there are just 35 Javan rhinos left.


“If we get the DNA from them, that’ll be interesting,” said Freeman. “They are far too big for a Tasmanian devil and it can’t be a dog. Why would a dog be so far out there? It’s a very remote area.

“We’ve been baiting and also setting up camera traps. We’ve seen a lot of Tasmanian devils and a feral cat, but nothing else so far. It’s only been up for a week, though, and it can take months. In the UK, we saw deer, otters and even a woman taking a pee on a bush before we saw anything interesting.”


The Tasmanian government states that there is “no conclusive evidence” it lives on, but that doesn't deter Freeman, who plans several return trips to prove mainstream science wrong. “I’ll be coming back again and again,” he said. “The people who say they’ve seen it have nothing to gain and everything to lose. I’d say there is a population of at least 300 of them.”

VIDEO

Responses to "Scientists hunt for the 'extinct' Tasmanian tiger to prove it still exists"

  1. Unknown says:

    remember

  2. Anonymous says:

    Actually I wouldn´t be surprised if it wasn´t extinct. There are many examples for extinct thought species which show up again.

  3. Lara says:

    I hope they find proof that they are alive...

  4. Andria says:

    This would be Amazing! (:

  5. Unknown says:

    oh my goodness i would love to see footage when they find one. They are beautiful

  6. Unknown says:

    I hope they don't find them and that they are alive. Otherwise some asshole will hunt it.....

  7. lee thomas says:

    Just a shame that if they are alive..some bloody idiots will want to hunt them.x

  8. It is said that they are still alive but the native people of Australia know the true locations and guard them from the white man and they have every right too.

  9. Anonymous says:

    They sure are one of a kind. Beautifully striped and very dog-like creatures. Would like to see more footage when available.............xox

  10. Unknown says:

    Why not keep their Where abouts a secret. Keeping it a secret only maintains their safety and helps them survive longer and able to breed. I do not doubt that they are surviving I mean look at what was once called exstinct has showed up. like the Coll. Octopus.

  11. Anonymous says:

    I hope they are still alive in the wild, and I pray they are left alone and not captured!

  12. Unknown says:

    Agree with Davina Theriaque says:
    I hope they don't find them and that they are alive. Otherwise some asshole will hunt it...

  13. all I can do is hope .........

  14. Anonymous says:

    If there are a couple of them and they are baiting them - goodbye to that couple of them. Bloody stupid to bait them.

  15. Anonymous says:

    What a lovely animal! How dare those horrid farmers killing off a creature that was there long before they came with their wretched sheep. Let's hope you can find it & conserve it. Tanya Ashken

  16. Anonymous says:

    I found the film very sad! What a beautiful creature he just wanted to be free! I hope that they are found and are left alone! What is with man that it wants to hunt and kill! Every species has a purpose and a right to life!

  17. Anonymous says:

    I hope if they find however many, they will let them live and not harm any of them. Mother nature has a way of taking care of her own if left alone by humans.....

  18. Jeanne says:

    I would be one to welcome their return. He is alive and well in my middle grade fantasy, The Sword of Demelza. My aim is to educate and highlight endangered animals around the world through my epic adventures. The more we learn about endangered animals, the more we can do to ensure their survival. Great Post- White Wolf.
    J.E. Rogers, Author
    The Sword of Demelza, Where Endangered Animals Roam the Pages :-)

  19. Anonymous says:

    I'm glad to hear about this species and I hope it does exist, but if it does, people! leave well enough alone and let nature take its course! Humans have already done far too much damage with our other creatures on this planet

  20. Anonymous says:

    Hope they are still alive, and kept safe by keeping the location concealed. As sure enough some gun totting idiot will be out there looking to make a name for themselves. Hope none are not killed in the name of science.

  21. Anonymous says:

    What a ludicrous comment to make!

  22. Unknown says:

    breathtaking ….. I hope it's true that they are still with us ….

  23. Anonymous says:

    David Cuevas wrote above, "It is said that they are still alive but the native people of Australia know the true locations and guard them from the white man and they have every right too."
    - This blog post is about a search for Tasmanian tigers in Tasmania, not on the Australian continent. The last known Tasmanian tiger died in a zoo in 1936. The last full-blood Tasmanian aboriginal died in 1905, the end point of one of history's very rare genocides to achieve total eradication of an ethnic group. The Tasmanian aboriginals were hunted by sealers, then by settlers, and they also were the victims of imported diseases. The last survivors were relocated to Flinders Island, off the NE coast of Tasmania but infectious diseases followed them there. The sealers and settlers also kidnapped aboriginal women as sex slaves. There are mixed-blood descendants to this day but they do not possess the aboriginal culture or language and are no more likely than anyone else to know where surviving Tasmanian tigers, if any, are hiding.
    Tasmanian tigers are thylacines, a marsupial species that also lived on the Australian continent and in New Guinea. In Australia, the thylacine became near-extinct 2000 years ago and was never recorded there by Europeans. Australian aboriginals hunted it but the main factor in its disappearance was competition from the dingo, a dog introduced to Australia 4000 years ago, perhaps somewhat more, by Austronesian navigators. In New Guinea, the thylacine went extinct even sooner than in Australia. There are also dingoes in New Guinea, where they are known as singing dogs. Environmental changes probably also played a role in the extinction of the thylacine.
    There have been a number of unconfirmed sightings of thylacines since 1936 on the Australian continent. There, perhaps Aboriginals know things that zoologists do not.
    Of course, it would be wonderful if thylacines were found to be still extant and reproducing. OTHO it would be sad to discover a community of Tasmanian aborigines that had managed to survive in hiding since the mid 19th c., because any contact, even well intentioned, would only lead to its disintegration.
    - Erik Abranson

  24. breathtaking sheephunters...

  25. Anonymous says:

    Hunters are the biggest , they give more time and money to the local governments and special groups,ex: the wild turkey federation,,, the whitetail deer was almost driven to extraction I in the lower 48, Hunters and their $ helped these and many other native species make come backs...how much money do you give every yr for the conservation of wild life

  26. Anonymous says:

    Erik Abranson you are incorrect. Tasmanian Aborigional Language and Culture is alive and well. The Tasmanian Aborigional Centre and Mersey-Leven Aborigional Centre are custodial organisations of both.

  27. mike Dowell says:

    It wasn't Hunters it was farmers,, yaw stupid hunter bashers....read the article

  28. Thank you Erik Abranson.Cannot blame present Aussies for sins of the past.

  29. Demelza says:

    My full agreements there cobber!

  30. Anonymous says:

    Erik is correct, while the culture lives on there are no more full blood Tasmanian Aboriginals.which is what Erik wrote. Truganini was considered the last.

    Boris

  31. Could someone actually begin the search for true Tasmanian humans please. or are they extinct? maybe they are being safeguarded by the great White Empress?

  32. Jane( an ex Tasmanian) says:

    I have always hoped they still existed and it sighted I hope they never release details of where they are and let them continue to live in the wild

  33. Anonymous says:

    I agree with you..ashame that humans are the destroyers of nature...

  34. Anonymous says:

    Thst is the saddest thing I have ever seen! The longing in their eyes and faces to be free is devastating! Our compulsion to capture and incarcerate wild creatures is sickning. Maybe they are out there maybe not? But why can't we just let it be.

  35. T Bur says:

    I hope they never find them. This is such a heartbreaking video - caged and locked up like this....

  36. Anonymous says:

    "compelling evidence of it's presence"
    The above is compelling evidence of a grammar malfunction -- its its its...ok?
    Other than that, interesting article and good luck on finding the TT.

  37. Anonymous says:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1703148/

  38. Liddy says:

    They're extinct, with all the camera phones people carry around there would have been recent footage of one by now.

  39. Anonymous says:

    Such a beautiful animal. I really hope and pray there are more. If so please leave them alone, let them live in peace.

  40. Anonymous says:

    I really hope that they find the Tasmanian Tiger alive and able to continue survival on this planet. I also hope that if they are found, we create protections for them so they can continue to survive and thrive. Humanity has a long, dark history of cruelty and rage against nature but I think we are changing for the better. I also hope that I am not the woman they caught peeing in the bushes.

  41. Anonymous says:

    Therevbhave been 15 sightings in the victorian atea of the otways
    Rugged remote area with ani.als now comming out into farm land
    I HAVE A PUMA family living on my farm not far from geelong
    So thylocine in area is not ridiculous as it sounds
    I have seem puma panther what ever u wsnt to call it it is biv black beautiful cat not aoggy its about 150 kg 8 ft long plus 3 ft tail
    I hsve been within 6 ft of it and feeding it rabbits I shot so I know how big and it is not vicious it eats foxes roos rabbits and leaves the sheep alone
    We shot 7 foxes on friday night and they were all gone tge next night he was hungry
    I have seen young and females so we have a breeding pair at least
    Im a believer

  42. Anonymous says:

    sad how they try and make the video emotional stunning but its horrible keeping it in that small area

  43. This would be awesome. But I've seen it mentioned a few times now it all boils down to monetary gain of no one is going to profit from this research then no one will fund it. But when some trigger happy hunter hears about it he will be more than happy to pay any sum of currency over and under the table to get his prize.

  44. Anonymous says:

    There has been several so called extinct animals and fish they said were never to be seen again. Life on earth is now in danger from all our destruction of habitat and echo-systems. We also are poisoning ourselves contaminating our drinkable water supplies. Here in America they pump water for food production that will be gone soon. Pesticides and chemicals seep into underground rivers. Runoff from agricultural and animal waste foul waterways. As usual we think it's fine but future generations are the ones that will suffer.

  45. Anonymous says:

    If you see one...what ever you do DONT TELL ANYONE with a white coat on!!!!!!!!!!

  46. Anonymous says:

    what kind of a noise does this animal make?bark like a dog?

  47. Anonymous says:

    I saw one the other day. It was on a lead and being taken for a walk by a Yowi. I think the Yowi was on its way to visit its cousin Bigfoot who lives next door to Yeti.

  48. Unknown says:

    The bait is not poison like an American would use its to attract them to the camera fool

  49. Unknown says:

    Our tasmaian aboriginal people like the wine box too much to live in the bush

  50. I have been studying Tasmanian Tigers (or wolves) Since I was around 7 years old. I would carry a picture of the last one alive in my wallet, promising myself one day I would go to Tasmania and try to find them if no one else had by then. I pray they are still alive and that theses sightings are true!

  51. Anonymous says:

    nnnnnnnnnn

  52. Anonymous says:

    I was a photographer seconded to a top secret government research unit designed to prove the existence of the Tasmanian Tiger in Victoria. The year was about 1977 and the locations that we looked at were The Otways through to Heywood and the SA border where many sightings had been reported. The evidence was conclusive but due to lout shooters and bounty incentives by overseas magazines we were instructed to hush it all up. We also discovered evidence of Black Panthers and things like half an adult sheep 50 feet up a gum tree. No other animal in Australia could do that type of damage let alone lift the weight. Yours sincerely Blue Angel.

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