So now, the question is “Are they extinct or not?”

This is my personal interest. I am doing this blog to find out actually. So right now, I am unsure if I will find the true answer. I have read different stories, and you know how people bend the truth. But, I will say this, I believe there could still be some alive today. Who knows what is truly out there still lurking in the undiscovered areas of the world?

Here is what I found:

The Australian Museum says that they are extinct. They say that they became extinct because of various factors, like, of course, humans, but also, they were in competition with the Dingo, which is an Australian wild dog. The Tasmanian Tiger became extinct to Australia around 2000 years ago. Humans drove them out because they were seen as a “pest.” (The Australian Museum, 2019)

However, recent findings discovered other reasons why these amazing creatures has vanished. According to Pearlman, scientists may think they have solved the mystery to the disappearance of the Tasmanian Tiger form Australia’s main island. They think it is due to extreme weather and drought rather than hunters and dingoes. He states that the last of this unique tiger died at The Hobart Zoo in 1936. They were wiped out after the arrival of the British settlers who exterminated them to set boundaries. (Pearlman, 2017)

So sure, they are extinct to Australia, but what about Tasmania?

According to Pearlman, the Tasmanian Tiger existed in Tasmania for thousands of years. Wild dogs are not found in Tasmania. “However, a study of ancient DNA extracted from fossil bones and museum specimens has found that climate change from about 4000 years ago – particularly drought caused by the El Niño weather pattern – was the probable cause of the mainland extinction.” This study tells you that they did not die out from “inbreeding or loss of genetic diversity.” Survival in Tasmania was possible because it was “somewhat shielded” from these weather patterns. If you want to check out Pearlman’s findings on the Tasmanian Tiger, you can visit his page here . (Pearlman, 2017)

I am still not convinced that they are truly no more of these beauties…….

So, I found this article by Rozenberg-Clark. She states that there are many Tasmanian Tiger Truthers out there that still believe that they still exist, even though they were proclaimed extinct in 1986. Apparently I need to do a little more research on why the tiger at the zoo died because she says ” You don’t even want to know how he died, it’s bloody infuriating.” (I do want to know, I will find out.) ” And when I say sightings, I don’t mean there’s been a couple here and there. Nope, there’s been over 3,800 sightings of the Tasmanian tiger on the Australian mainland alone since 1936, and a good amount of these sighting cannot be ruled out as actual thylacine activity.” You can read her story here . (Rozenerg-Clark, 2019)

HMMMM….. So, I am not convinced yet…… I am a researcher…. I need more information…… Let’s start with what REALLY happened to the Tasmanian Tiger that died at the Hobart Zoo.

What Really Happened to the ‘last Tasmanian Tiger’ at Hobart Zoo:

As I figured…

According to Andrews, the zoo neglected to bring in the tiger in on a cold night. For more information on this you can visit her article here . (Andrews, 2017)

There is a group of people called the Thylacine Awareness Group they are “dedicated to the research, recognition and conservation of our most elusive apex predator.” What you need to know is that people believe they have sighted them, and believe the Tasmanian Tiger is not extinct like they are proclaimed to be. You can visit her article here to find out more about these groups of people. She also has a video on her page of the Tasmanian Tigers. (Hunt, 2016)

There is nothing more interesting to me than the history of something.

The Tasmanian Tiger in History:

The indigenous people of Australia painted the Thylacine on the walls or overhangs on exposed rocks. “There is evidence to suggest that Aboriginal people in Tasmania used the Thylacine as a food item.” (The Australian Museum, 2019)

“Fossil Thylacines have been reported from Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. Work at the Riversleigh World Heritage fossil site in north-west Queensland has unearthed a spectacular array of Thylacines dating from about 30 million years ago to almost 12 million years ago. At least seven different species are present, ranging from small specialized cat-sized individuals to fox-sized predators.” (The Australian Museum, 2019)

There was an amazing find of almost a complete skeleton inside a limestone boulder. After 17 million years inside its tomb, paleontologists discovered it, and after many months of complicated construction, they finally have it put together.

Thylacine skeleton, mounted, from the Mammals Collection at the Australian Museum. Image: Carl Bento © Stephen R. Sleightholme (The Australian Museum, 2019)

What is even more interesting is that The Australian Museum has a mummified carcass of a Thylacine. You can visit their page here to see the picture, it is at the bottom of the page.

There are some interesting facts in this article. There is also the sad truth about what happened to what is known as the ‘last Tasmanian Tiger’. I am still unsure if these unique tigers should be pronounced extinct. I think people have sighted them and they are still wandering around in the vast places that they roam. What do you think? Are they extinct, or is there a possibility that there could be some Tasmanian tigers still roaming around out there? Thanks for reading!

Sources:

The Australian Museum (2019) The Thylacine https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/australia-over-time/extinct-animals/the-thylacine/

Pearlman, Jonathan (2017) Mystery of What Wiped Out the Tasmanian Tiger ‘Finally Solved’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/28/mystery-disappeared-tasmanian-tiger-finally-solved/

Rozenberg-Clark (2019) Dont Panic, The Tasmanian Tiger May Not be so Extinct After All https://www.pedestrian.tv/podcast/tasmanian-tiger-thylacine-not-extinct/

Hunt, Ellie (2016) Tasmanian Tiger Sightings: I Represent 3000 People Who Have Been told They’re Nuts” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/01/tasmanian-tiger-sightings-i-represent-3000-people-who-have-been-told-theyre-nuts