Tasmanian Tiger

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, is an enduring symbol of Tasmania and a testament to the damage that mankind can do to other living creatures.

The last known Tasmanian tiger died in Beaumaris Zoo, Hobart, in 1936 and the animal is officially classified as extinct. Technically, this means that it has not been officially sighted in the wild or captivity for 50 years. However, there are still unsubstantiated sightings.

Thylacines were widespread in Australia 7,000 years ago, but have probably been extinct on the continent for 2,000 years - a result of the introduction of dingoes around 8,000 years ago.

Because of disease, thylacine numbers may have been declining in Tasmania at the time of European settlement 200 years ago, but the decline was certainly accelerated by the new arrivals.

Tasmanian tigers were considered a direct threat to the sheep grazing districts of the midlands and north-west, and bounties were offered for their scalps by the Van Diemen’s Land Company from the 1830. The Tasmanian Government also offered a bounty from 1888, and more than 2,000 scalps were redeemed between 1888 and 1909.

As big as a medium-sized dog, thylacines had sandy brown fur, with 12 to 15-centimetre (4.7 to six-inch) dark-brown stripes across their back and rump. They were Australia’s largest carnivorous marsupial, a title now held by the Tasmanian devil.

Before European arrival, thylacines most probably hunted kangaroos and wallabies, which they pursued relentlessly until the prey fell exhausted. Sheep, introduced by the Europeans, were much easier targets.

There have been many reported sightings since 1936, most commonly until the 1960s, and some people still believe that the tiger survives in Tasmania. Scientists, however, say that the gene pool would be too small today to maintain a viable population.