TASMANIAN TIGER

Oct. 20, 2019

Recently released documents from Tasmania’s Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment show that thylacine, which is said to have gone extinct over 80 years ago, has been spotted across Tasmania 8 times during 2016 -2019.

About:

What is it? The thylacine, now extinct, is one of the largest known carnivorous marsupials, evolving about 4 million years ago.
Names: The thylacine is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger because of its striped lower back, or the Tasmanian wolf because of its canid-like characteristics.
IUCN status: The last known thylacine died in captivity over 80 years ago, in Tasmania’s Hobart Zoo in 1936.
Distribution: It was native to Tasmania, New Guinea, and the Australian mainland.
Features: The thylacine appeared like a medium-to-large-size dog, except for its stiff tail and abdominal pouch similar to a kangaroo, and dark transverse stripes that radiated from the top of its back, reminiscent of a tiger.