![Atop Empire State- in construction; Chrysler Bldg & [Daily] News in middle foreground. (1931)](../../../wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Atop-Empire-State-in-construction-Chrysler-Bldg-Daily-News-in-middle-foreground.-1931--199x123.jpg "Balancing on the Empire State")
‘The thylacine was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century.
‘The thylacine had become extremely rare or extinct on the Australian mainland before European settlement of the continent, but it survived on the island of Tasmania. Intensive hunting encouraged by bounties is generally blamed for its extinction. Despite its official classification as extinct, sightings are still reported, though none proven.’
- Wikipedia
Thylacine with a chicken, 1921. This image was widely distributed and may have helped secure the animal's reputation as a poultry thief. In fact the image is cropped to hide the thylacine's fenced run and housing.
Below: footage of the last thylacine, 1933
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Image of stuffed thylacine by Torsten Blackwood
Thank you to Freddie
This is yet another reason I hate my species. Eventually there will be no fish, no birds…I’m just glad I will be long dead before that.
We’ll be extinct soon too I expect, then the world will have a chance.
A rather better preserved stuffed thylacine than the one featured here is on permanent display at Bristol City Museum here in the UK.
I’ve been enchanted with thylacines since I was 12 years old. They look so beautiful in pictures, I’ve always wished desperately that I could see one living and breathing in real life.
Anit man lovely we so good to the animals last of its kind driven mad in a cage
I would imagine they could get some DNA from the stuffed examples (or elsewhere)… if so, maybe they can ‘clone’ some again in the near future!
There have been lots of sightings in recent years in the wilds of tasmania. Whether actual or wishful thinking, I’m not sure, but I’m hoping they’re in the backcountry somewhere. I seem to recall there’s a website devoted to investigating the sightings somewhere.