THYLACINES: (PROBABLY NOT) EXTINCT

We at the San Perdido Trading Company are proud to offer the "Tasmanian Tiger Expedition" patch: handsomely embroidered, iron-on backing, and perfect for any adventure bag or favorite field jacket (available in our online store for only US$14). We designed this to help raise awareness of this amazing (and likely NOT) extinct species, and to honor the people who are dedicated to finding the last surviving thylacines. 

The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) is often called a "Tasmanian Tiger" or a "Tasmanian Wolf," although it is neither a tiger nor a wolf. In fact, human beings are more closely related to tigers and wolves than the thylacine is. The thylacine a marsupial. Yes: it has a pouch like a kangaroo. Some time around 23 million years ago (in what was at the time Tasmania/Southern Australia), there was a job opening for a medium-sized predator in the environment; a squirrel-like marsupial creature which already had a taste for meat evolved to fit the niche. It's dog-like appearance is what we would call "convergent evolution" – species which have similar environments and similar lifestyles can evolve similar features and appearances. In this case, we have a carnivorous marsupial which evolved into a dog-like form. And its "tiger" stripes do a decent job of camouflaging its back when hunting through grasslands, just like a tiger.

Although thylacines were officially declared extinct in 1982, the last known (captive) thylacine died in 1936 (and sadly, the Tasmanian Government declared them a protected species only 59 days after the last one had died). The thylacine originally existed in Australia, Tasmania, and parts of New Guinea. It appears to have already been going extinct in New Guinea and Australia over 2,000 years ago; in Australia, ancient humans and dingoes may have posed a significant threat to the thylacine. In the late 19th Century, humans and sheep posed the greatest threat to the thylacine in Tasmania: thylacines were considered a danger to sheep, and bounties were paid for dead thylacines.
 

Since the death of the last known thylacine (due to negligence in the Hobart Zoo, Tasmania), it has been considered extinct by most authorities. However, thousands of sightings of thylacines in the wild have occurred since 1936, mostly in northeastern Tasmania and southwestern Australia (South West Victoria). Numerous expeditions and searches for them have been undertaken since 1936; most with uncertain, inconclusive, or no findings. However, in recent years (in an era when most take a digital camera when traveling or have a camera on their phone), unintentional or casual sightings are now being documented regularly. And more data are coming to light that suggest the thylacine may not actually be extinct, but very, very rare. 

Recently, the Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia published this 2008 amateur video from South West Victoria, Australia, of an animal which does not move nor appear like a dog nor a fox.  Note its long, thick tapering tail and the shape and movement of its back legs. Also note (which seems to go unmentioned in the video) that the creature's front right leg appears to be injured (it is limping): sadly, perhaps the possible result of traps set for wild dogs, which may pose a significant threat to any surviving thylacines. 

Watching this video several times, it made sense to examine photos of the last known (captive) thylacines and compare them to the anatomy of dogs: the above graphic is the result of my comparison. Simply put: stripes aside, thylacines have distinctively different looking rear ends when compared to dogs.  This comparison graphic might help others examining candidate video and photo materials. With this in mind, another video published by the Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia in 2016 (albeit appearing in a very small number of video frames) DOES look very much like a thylacine rear end (and very much NOT like a dog, wolf, or fox). And although it is difficult to say for certain, there is at least one frame in which stripes appear to be visible. We couldn't reasonably declare this video "definitive proof," but it is also not unreasonable to call it "persuasive evidence." 
Until live specimens have been recovered (which may not be legal, given current laws regarding issuing a trapping license for thylacines), we will have to continue to search with camera in hand. 

Luckily, a number of dedicated groups are out there searching: the Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia, the Thylacine Research Unit, and a research expedition from James Cook University are on the mission find the last thylacines.  And hopefully, when definitive evidence comes to light, we can implement measures to protect this species from its (second) extinction.