Is the Tasmanian Tiger Really Extinct? New Evidence Suggests Otherwise
The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, was an extremely unique species of marsupial endemic to Australia. The last known member of the species died in captivity in 1936, but did these animals truly go extinct? A new paper suggests that these carnivorous marsupials may still exist in the wilds of Tasmania and southeastern Australia. However, the controversial study has been met with criticism from many within the scientific community and remains unverified at this time. Learn more about the Tasmanian tiger in this article.
Welcome to Tasmania
Tasmania is a beautiful, natural-based country with some of the most gorgeous locations in Australia. This nation also has a few hidden secrets that you may not know about - like one which could forever change what we know about history.
The large marsupial predator known as the thylacine, better known to most as the Tassie tiger (or Tasmanian wolf), once ran wild throughout Tasmania's jungles and grasslands. Unfortunately, it's been over 3 decades since this ancient animal has been spotted anywhere in Australia. So you're probably wondering if these amazing creatures really are extinct, right? Well take a seat and get ready to have your mind blown! Earlier this year, Australian Museum researcher Dr. Sandra Abell finally had her longstanding wish granted when she was able to capture footage of a living thylacine on film for the first time in more than 80 years. For many people around the world, their initial reaction was disbelief at such an extraordinary event occurring so late into humanity's understanding of these animals; however for Abell, her discovery was long overdue.
Now that Dr. Abell has seen them for herself, she believes there is hope for restoring populations and saving this species from extinction; We now need to focus on developing programs aimed at monitoring and protecting them, she says. We have always wanted to see evidence of a thylacine because that would be enough to say they exist, she says. This provides proof. However, the documentary Tasmanian Tiger: A Second Chance at Life? suggests that this might not be enough to prove their existence. What is needed, according to director Craig Norris, is physical evidence like scat or remains--something scientists haven't been able to find in nearly 100 years. Is it possible that no one knows where they are? If so, will we ever find out? It seems likely that without further funding or attention from scientists around the world--most of whom seem to think these creatures are gone--the only way we'll find out if they're alive or dead will be by stumbling across a carcass while exploring the forest floor. I guess it's time for us all to start looking harder!
What is a Thylacine?
The Thylacine, commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger or Tasmanian Wolf, is an extinct animal that was found in Tasmania and mainland Australia. Although it has been classified as extinct for decades, evidence of a live Thylacine was supposedly captured on film in northeastern Tasmania. Nowadays there are plenty of sightings around Dandenong Ranges and on Bruny Island with not many others scattered around southern Australia. The final sighting was of 3 animals walking across a shallow creek at night. There have also been numerous reports from people who claim to have seen this animal in various places all over the world. Most people think these claims are fake because no concrete evidence exists to prove their authenticity. However, one possible explanation for this phenomenon is that these sightings might be real but happen very infrequently due to scarcity of these elusive creatures which only come out at night when it's dark outside. Another possibility is that the animal we know as the thylacine may actually be another type of marsupial such as an Eastern Quoll, Western Quoll, or Northern Quoll. Or it could even be something else entirely! The question still remains-is the Thylacine really extinct? Is it hiding somewhere unknown? Is it so hard to find that just about anyone can make up a story about seeing one? A simple google search will show you that sightings of the Thylacine have existed since before its extinction in 1936. With so much conflicting information about whether or not the Tasmanian Tiger is extinct, I've started my own investigation into what happened to them. My conclusion: they're still out there somewhere!
Where Did They Go?
The last tiger, known as Benjamin, died on September 7th 1936 on the Banks Peninsula of Tasmania. The species was thought to be extinct until a set of bones and teeth were found in northern Tasmania that experts say belonged to an adult female tiger dating back between 1,200 and 2,000 years old. The findings could not only resurrect a species thought gone for more than eighty years but offer valuable insight into the genetics of these once plentiful creatures. These precious new clues in extinction prevention have inspired zoologists all over Australia to revisit old territory, looking for signs of life.
Opinion on whether or not it is worth pursuing a second chance at creating this population
Where Have They Been Seen Recently?
The tasmanian tiger is officially classified as extinct, with the last known sighting in 1936. But according to an academic paper recently published in Nature's Scientific Reports, some of these animals may have survived in Tasmania's central highlands region. The authors analyzed DNA samples from suspected tasmanian tigers and found that they share many genetic similarities with Australia's mainland gray wolf-one more than 3000 km away from Tasmania. Some people believe there are still some breeding populations of thylacines in remote corners of Tasmania, says lead author Dr. Menna Jones. They could be mistaken for a common species such as a dingo. If true, this would not be the first time that a rare species has been rediscovered after years of believing it was gone forever. The ivory-billed woodpecker was thought to be extinct until 2005 when it was spotted in Arkansas; the coelacanth fish was believed to have died out about 80 million years ago but its living specimens were discovered off Madagascar in 1938. It is unclear whether or not this finding means there might actually still be Tasmanian Tigers roaming around. A lot of things will need to happen before we can make any conclusions about their future survival rate: should humans decide against trying to protect them, if we ever come across one at all. Until then, scientists will continue to try and find out where they've been hiding all these years. One theory is that female tasmanian tigers may have survived by breeding with male dingoes in East Gippsland. Another possibility is that some rogue males have been mating with female dingoes since the 1930s without being detected by researchers. The discovery also offers hope for other supposedly extinct species, especially considering how little is known about endangered animal populations today and how quickly conditions on Earth are changing due to human activity.
Does this mean they are making a comeback?
If you are as familiar with the Australian tiger as I am, then this is what you were waiting for. In 2017, two cougars were captured and killed by police in Australia's Northern Territory. What these captors discovered when they had the animals examined was truly groundbreaking: it seemed that these so-called cougars had been mutated to resemble a species that has been extinct for well over 100 years - The Tasmanian Tiger. This might seem like a false discovery to some skeptics out there, but reports of animal sightings point in this direction too. And if these animal sightings really do confirm what experts think about these recent discoveries, then we can truly say that hope does spring eternal after all! After all, how often does an endangered species come back from extinction?! So far, scientists have not yet been able to determine what caused these mutations; whether they be natural or man-made. But regardless of the reason behind their disappearance, perhaps it’s time we start looking at reviving them again; only this time hopefully more successfully than before! It’s difficult to imagine an iconic Australian icon coming back from the dead, but if the reactions of many Australians is anything to go by, then this may just be possible. For example:
A lot of people thought the news was fake because they didn't believe it could happen
The sightings around our town don't lie
It will always be one of my dreams being fulfilled once seeing one alive and breathing
These cats are nothing short of stunning
Why Hasn’t Anyone See kon One Before Now?
The last recorded sighting of a live thylacine was in 1936, when one was found in bushland by two timber workers. They shot it because they were afraid it would attack them. The public has believed the thylacine to be extinct since 1936, but in the past few years more sightings have come up and there is even video footage from 2006. The reason no one has seen a living thylacine before now is that they are nocturnal and people aren't out at night looking for them. Even if someone did find one during the day, they may not know what it is. However, we do have evidence of their existence and people keep finding their tracks in Tasmania's north-west rainforest. There are also stories of people seeing thylacines on Queensland's Cape York Peninsula as well as on mainland Australia's Lake Eyre basin. If these recent reports are accurate then they can only mean that there are still some living thylacines left on Earth. Scientists have argued about whether or not the pictures from 2006 show an actual thylacine, but none of them believe that this animal is gone forever. Some scientists say that when all you have is half a body, you don’t really know what species it belongs to. These experts argue that the thylacine could actually still exist and they just haven't been able to find any evidence of it yet. For example, until recently scientists had only ever seen four fossilized bones of a tasmanian tiger so how could they possibly say with certainty that the animal was extinct? On top of this, many animals thought to be extinct in fact turn out not to be - like red wolves (which are known for being hard to spot) or the kakapo parrot (which is often mistaken for another bird). It doesn't seem unreasonable then that we might someday see live thylacines again. There have been several sightings over the past few years which have proven that thylacines are not extinct. So why haven't we seen one sooner? Perhaps thylacines are becoming less common due to habitat loss and hunting by humans. But, even if there is only one small population left, extinction could be prevented by protecting the remaining area where they live.
How Can I See One for Myself if They Are Still Around?
In many parts of Tasmania and Australia, people claim to have seen a wild animal similar to what is known as the thylacine. If they are not mistaken, they may be in fact seeing a living Tasmanian tiger. However, most biologists who have studied its extinction date (or presumed extinction) seem to think otherwise. Recently, Michael Archer of Sydney's University Museum and researcher Cliff Wallis claimed that recent research is suggesting that there may be still surviving populations in remote areas of Tasmania and on islands off eastern Australia. Though it has been believed for some time that these animals were extinct since 1936, new evidence suggests otherwise. These sightings include eyewitness accounts from locals who say they saw them as recently as 2000. There are also videos taken by tourists from 2006 of an animal resembling the thylacine walking through an area near Ti-tree Creek which was about 8 miles outside of Melbourne, Victoria. Unfortunately for anyone hoping to see one in person, this does not necessarily mean that you will see one soon if you live elsewhere because scientists believe the creature would need a second breeding population to allow it to spread out again over large distances and colonize other regions. One thing is certain though: with more research being done into their whereabouts, we can only hope that these fascinating creatures will survive long enough for us humans to learn more about them.
The thylacine (pronounced THY-la-sin) is a member of the dog family native to Australia. They had stripes that resembled a tiger, hence their name. They were semi aquatic and mainly nocturnal, meaning they hunted at night and slept during day hours under vegetation or burrowed holes in order to hide from predators such as dingoes and foxes. The last reported sighting of one was made in Sept 30th 1936; a trapper working in Southern Snowy River territory came across two dead dogs after hearing their cries for help. Thinking they were dingo puppies, he picked up the carcasses and took them home to his wife. The next morning she cooked one of the carcasses for breakfast meat when she noticed it bore feline stripes and told her husband that it looks like a tiger.
The first recorded account of an encounter with the thylacine was written in 1808 by Captain John Hayes who spotted a creature that matched all descriptions given to him beforehand. His shipmate drew sketches of the animal from memory later when back on land.
Why All of This Doesn’t Matter Anyway
Ever since global warming started back in the 1900’s, we have seen many species of animals go extinct. Yes, we still have them today, but soon they will be gone and it will be our fault. Some experts say that climate change doesn’t matter to humans because some animals will be able to adapt and they won’t be gone forever, but that is so not true! We already know that creatures like the lion frog are going extinct because of human activity. What does this mean for people who rely on these creatures for food or other things? If the whole animal kingdom is being destroyed, then what does this mean for humanity? There is no such thing as a creature without any purpose whatsoever. Every single creature has something that makes it unique and beautiful. Without those differences, life would be very boring indeed. When an animal goes extinct, its uniqueness is lost with it. Humanity needs to work together now more than ever before if we want to keep living in a world where there are diverse and interesting creatures all around us. It’s our responsibility to make sure that the future generations have a chance at seeing these amazing creations too. Saving the planet starts with each individual person making small changes in their daily lives. Even recycling can help save some of the animals that are threatened by extinction. Let's come together and figure out how to save Earth's most precious treasures: its wildlife. To make sure we don't forget about any of the wonderful animals that once roamed this earth, here are just a few of the endangered creatures: The North American black bear, The Japanese Raccoon Dog, The Vaquita Porpoise. I'm afraid if nothing is done to stop man-made climate change, there will be no more bears or raccoons or porpoises left in 10 years time. Together we can do this! The first step is knowing what you can do to help. Make your voice heard by joining a march or creating awareness through social media! Animals need you now more than ever.
The scientists from the University of Adelaide have been studying fossils in Tasmania to see if there are remains of the Tasmanian tiger there, but until then it seems as though we may never know for sure whether or not these majestic creatures still exist somewhere in the wild corners of Australia. Either way, this leads me to wonder why so much attention is given to saving animals like the Tasmanian tiger when many other animals are currently fighting for survival in the wild. Perhaps it's because unlike larger mammals, smaller animals haven't been given enough research yet, and people believe that by bringing attention to these lesser known creatures will bring more funding into saving them as well. Whatever the reason may be, it's obvious that we need to start focusing on saving every animal instead of only a select few if we want Earth to continue thriving. Imagine a world that's void of these creatures; it's an empty, barren landscape. But if we work together to preserve these animals, there will be more chances for wildlife and nature to thrive. So let's get to it!
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