How do we know if a species is extinct?

Species extinction generally occurs when the last individual of a species dies, but for wild populations, the exact point of extinction can be hard to pin point.

Often we only determine a species is extinct after it has not been seen for a very long time. The last Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) died at Hobart zoo in 1936.

The last Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) died at Hobart zoo in 1936. It was declared extinct in 1986. Credit:Fairfax Media

At the time, we didn’t realise this was the extinction of the world’s largest marsupial carnivore. Only in 1986 was the Thylacine officially listed as extinct.