Tasmanian Tiger Survived Later Than We Thought: Scientists Say

Tasmanian tigers once roamed mainland Australia and as far as the island of New Guinea in the north until it was only confined in Australia's island state of Tasmania

Officially known as the Tasmanian wolf or the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), the last remaining member of the carnivorous marsupial was long thought to have died in 1936, mainly caused by anthropogenic extinction.

Since then, there have been multiple marsupial wolf sightings reported over the past several decades. However, anecdotal evidence and the lack of hard evidence such as: paw prints, carcasses, and living Tasmanian wolf, did not prove that the wild animals never went extinct. In 1986, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) finally acknowledged the fate of the extinct animals.

Now, a new study revealed the possibility that the thylacine survived into the 1980s or even at a later period than scientists had previously thought. Researcher from Australia collected massive amount of data from various sources to piece together the puzzle, suggesting the captive last member of T. cynocephalus that died in a Hobart zoo in Tasmania in 1936 was not the last one.

Hunted to Extinction

(Photo : Photo by Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
A thylacine or 'Tasmanian wolf', or 'Tasmanian tiger' in captivity, circa 1930. These animals are thought to be extinct, since the last known wild thylacine was shot in 1930 and the last captive one died in 1936.

It is estimated that there are 5,000 Tasmanian tigers alive in Tasmania during the time of the European settlement in Australia, according to the National Museum of Australia (NMA). However, anthropogenic or human activities such as excessive hunting, along with habitat destruction and introduced disease, has led to the quick extinction of the species until the last one died at Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart.

The death of the last known thylacine in September 1936 came two months after the said critically endangered species at that time was given a protection status. This came after the last known wild thylacine was shot in 1930, as mentioned in the image above.

Prior to their extinction, the marsupial wolves received bounties since the establishment of the first European colonies during the 1800s, a period when settlers cleared large swathes of areas for agricultural activities such as farming and livestock raising, according to NMA.

Also Read: 'Detailed' Tasmanian Tiger Sighting in Cape York Prompts Hunt for Extinct Creature

Marsupial Wolf Sightings

Since 1936, reports on marsupial wolf sightings revolved around whispers, anecdotal evidence, and other forms of unconfirmed data. This means that the continued existence of the 'striped dog' or those similar to a tiger came pouring down in the succeeding decades after the 1930s, according to the website Science Alert.

In line with the recent study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, scientists from the University of Tasmania collected 1,237 related sighting reports and developed a new method for determining the distribution of 'post-bounty thylacine holdouts.'

Contrary to popular belief, the university's research team asserted Australia's iconic predator "probably" survived until the 1980s and there are ongoing sightings of alleged Tasmanian tigers even in recent years, the study said. Despite the new evidence, the official categorization of conservation authorities to thylacine is still 'extinct.'

Related Article: Genetics Company Plans to Bring Extinct Tasmanian Tiger to Life, Will It Work?