Creatures, Myths & Legends

The hunt for a live Tasmanian tiger continues

By T.K. Randall
July 12, 2015 ·  24 comments

The last known captive thylacine before its death in 1936. Image Credit: Benjamin A. Sheppard Despite the fact that the last known living specimen died in Hobart Zoo back in 1936, sightings of Tasmanian tigers have continued in parts of Australia right up until the present day.

Famed thylacine hunter Michael Moss has spent the better part of 20 years attempting to locate evidence that the species, having gone extinct in Tasmania, has since managed to eke out an existence in the mainland state of Victoria.

"They were hunted relentlessly in Tasmania because they were a threat to sheep graziers," he said."But research I have undertaken through government records shows there were shipments of Tasmanian native animals to Wilsons Promontory between 1910 and 1915. I believe these shipments may have included tigers and the sightings people now report are of their descendants."

Moss maintains that he encountered a thylacine himself while working as an assistant lighthouse keeper at Cape Otway in 1973 and has since investigated dozens of other sightings.

"There has already been a claimed sighting of one in Fisheries Rd, Devon Meadows, a few years ago," he said. "And I've got footage of what I believe is one crossing a paddock in the Strezlecki Ranges, near Wilsons Promontory."

"Most reports to date have been of animals near or crossing roads - with the advent of dashboard cameras in cars, I think we will see some concrete evidence before much longer."

Source: Herald Sun | Comments (24)

Tags: Thylacine, Australia