Officially, the Tasmanian Tiger became extinct back in the
1930s when the last one in captivity died.
The story of its extinction doesn’t make happy reading for
most modern folk.
This was the last of its kind – a roughly dog-sized and
carnivorous marsupial with stripes on its back something like those of a tiger.
According to scientists, the species became extinct on the mainland of
Australia around 2,000 years ago but incredibly it managed to survive in
numbers in Tasmania until European settlers arrived.
At that time, hunting of them started and domesticated dogs
also played a part in driving them to extinction. Official indifference also
played a part, even well into the 20th century.
All those in various zoos around the world had died by the 1930s,
and the last known example in Hobart Zoo joined them in 1936.
This appalling destruction of an entire species was a
completely avoidable tragedy and there are very few people left alive today who
can remember seeing one.
However, stories of them being spotted in Far North
Queensland just won’t go away. Most recently, a number of reports have surfaced
relating to sightings around the Cape York Peninsula. According to reputable
scientists, these reports are considered “credible”.
There are now a number of studies being organised and
scientists are also pointing out just how poorly understood much of the Cape
York area really is. That, in itself, is perhaps promising and hopeful.
If these sightings did prove to be correct then that would
be a fantastic thing for the environment and Far North Queensland. It would
also be incredible that a species that had previously been considered extinct
there for 2,000 years was, in fact, still present.
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