The question of whether the Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, is still alive persists decades after its official disappearance, a testament to the animal’s iconic status. The species, Thylacinus cynocephalus, is formally classified as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with the last known individual dying in captivity in 1936. Despite this classification, occasional claims of sightings in Tasmania’s remote wilderness keep the discussion about its continued existence alive, prompting ongoing searches and scientific projects aimed at bringing the species back.
Defining the Thylacine
The thylacine was a unique carnivorous marsupial, once the largest meat-eating marsupial in the world. Its common names, the Tasmanian tiger and Tasmanian wolf, stemmed from its appearance: a dog-like head and 15 to 20 dark brown stripes running across its yellowish-brown back. Though its body shape was similar to a dog or wolf, this was a result of convergent evolution, as its closest living relatives are other Australian marsupials like the Tasmanian devil and quolls.
The thylacine possessed a rear-opening pouch and could open its jaws to an unusually wide extent. Adults typically weighed between 20 and 30 kilograms and stood about 60 centimeters tall at the shoulder. While the species was once distributed across mainland Australia and New Guinea, it had been restricted to Tasmania for thousands of years prior to European settlement. As an apex predator, it preyed on small birds and marsupials, preferring dry eucalyptus forests, grasslands, and lightly timbered areas.
The Extinction Timeline
The thylacine’s decline began with European colonization of Tasmania in the early 1800s. Settlers viewed the animal as a threat to their livestock, particularly sheep, leading to its persecution. Although thylacine predation on sheep was likely exaggerated, the perception solidified the animal’s status as a pest. This conflict spurred the Van Diemen Land Company to introduce a bounty system as early as the 1830s.
The government of Tasmania formalized this eradication effort in 1888, instituting an official bounty for every carcass presented. This government-sanctioned hunting, which paid out more than 2,180 bounties by 1909, was the primary cause of the species’ rapid demise. Secondary pressures, including habitat destruction from land clearing and a possible distemper-like disease, accelerated the population collapse. An estimated 3,500 thylacines were killed by humans between 1830 and 1920.
The last known individual, a male named Benjamin, died in captivity at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart on September 7, 1936. This occurred just two months after the species was granted legal protection by the Australian government. The thylacine was not officially declared extinct until 1982 by the IUCN and later by the Tasmanian government. This decades-long gap reflects the hope that a small, isolated population might have survived in Tasmania’s remote areas.
Ongoing Search Efforts and Evidence
The possibility of the thylacine’s survival continues to drive interest, fueled by numerous unconfirmed sightings reported since 1936. Scientists have analyzed over 1,200 alleged sightings and pieces of evidence, with some modeling suggesting the species may have persisted into the early 2000s. However, systematic search efforts utilizing advanced technology like camera traps have consistently failed to produce conclusive evidence, such as definitive photographs or physical specimens.
Many alleged sightings are likely misidentifications of native animals, such as the Tasmanian devil, or feral animals like dogs and cats. The scientific likelihood of a viable population surviving is low, as a small, isolated group would struggle with inbreeding and maintaining genetic diversity. Despite this, the belief in its survival has spurred a different scientific effort: de-extinction.
Researchers are actively working on a project to genetically engineer the thylacine back into existence using modern biotechnology. This involves sequencing the thylacine’s genome from preserved specimens and comparing it to its closest living relative, the fat-tailed dunnart. Using gene-editing tools, scientists aim to modify the dunnart’s cells to create a thylacine-like cell for cloning and gestation in a surrogate. The goal is to create a proxy animal that could restore the balance the apex predator once provided to the Tasmanian ecosystem.