The most recent thylacine reports


An illustration of a thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) in a hand-coloured lithographic plate, from a photograph by Victor A. Prout

Thylacines (Tasmanian tigers) were officially extinct in the 1930s, but sightings continued into the 1950s.

In more recent times, two cases stand out.

Both were reported by Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Officers.

In 1982 Parks biologist Hans Naarding was camping at a remote spot near Togari, east of Marrawah, in north-west Tasmania.

He said he shone a torch around at 2am and saw a thylacine in the rain about 7m away.

He observed it long enough to count the 12 stripes on its back and see it make a defensive “gape” with its jaws.

Naarding was considered a reliable witness. There was a year-long search of the area, with cameras, sand traps for prints installed and more, by Parks officer Nick Mooney, but nothing was found.

In 1994 Parks officer Charlie Beasley was birdwatching near St Helens, on Tasmania’s east coast. He said he saw a thylacine “about half the size of German shepherd dog, with stripes”.

He said he watched the animal for two minutes through his binoculars.

While there have been other “sightings”, these two are the most reliable given the backgrounds of the witnesses.

Then there was this one … story here.

You never know what you might see in Tasmania. Like those odd brackets on the road signs, we asked about them and this is what we discovered.




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