Thylacine : The Tragic Tale of the Tasmanian Tiger

Is the Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, still out there? Thousands of Australians, including dedicated and serious scientists, claim to have seen it. The world's largest marsupial predator was deliberately hunted to extinction through fear, ignorance and greed. But was it a savage sheep killer or a shy, fussy, nocturnal feeder? And did it really drink its victims' blood? Once reviled, feared and slaughtered by government decree, the myth of the Tasmanian Tiger continues to grow. So treasured now, the Tasmanian Tiger has become the official logo of the place that wiped it out and a symbol of the conservation movement world-wide. A number of Australian species have miraculously reappeared after having been presumed extinct. There continue to be reports of sightings and large areas of Tasmania, associated with its last-known habitats, are permanently inaccessible to man. Perhaps the Tiger is still with us. And if it's not, can it be brought back by cloning? The tragic story of how ignorance, fear and lack of caring led to the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger.Is it still out there?Thousands of Australians, including dedicated and serious scientists, claim to keep seeing it still.The world's largest marsupial predator was deliberately hunted to extinction through fear, ignorance and greed. But was it a savage sheep killer or a shy, fussy, nocturnal feeder? And did it really drink its victims'blood? Once reviled, feared and slaughtered by government decree, the myth of the Tasmanian Tiger continues to grow. So treasured is it now, the Tasmanian Tiger has become the official logo of the island that wiped it out and a symbol of the conservation movement world-wide.A number of Australian species have miraculously reappeared after being labelled as extinct. Perhaps the Tiger is still with us. And if it's not, can it be brought back by cloning? Title page......Page 5 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 1 What's in a name?......Page 13 2 In the beginning: Evolution......Page 26 3 At the end: Extinction......Page 37 4 'Pathetically little is known'......Page 46 5 A rugged and determined front: Van Diemen's Land settled......Page 61 6 Before the fall: Trowenna......Page 69 7 A land in need of taming......Page 83 8 Tall tales, tiger men and bounties......Page 97 9 'Them bloody useless things' 1888-1930......Page 119 10 A bad finish: 7 September 1936......Page 136 11 A lost object of awe......Page 147 12 We wake up too late......Page 160 13 The tiger in commerce and art......Page 175 14 Beating a seventy-year hiccup: cloning......Page 190 15 Sightings and the science of survival......Page 198 Notes......Page 213 Select bibliography......Page 229 Index......Page 233 Is it still out there? Thousands of Australians, including dedicated and serious scientists, claim to keep seeing it still. The world's largest marsupial predator was deliberately hunted to extinction through fear, ignorance and greed. But was it a savage sheep killer or a shy, fussy, nocturnal feeder? And did it really drink its victims' blood? Once reviled, feared and slaughtered by government decree, the myth of the Tasmanian Tiger continues to grow. So treasured is it now, the Tasmanian Tiger has become the official logo of the island that wiped it out and a symbol of the conservation movement world-wide. A number of Australian species have miraculously reappeared after being labelled as extinct. Perhaps the Tiger is still with us. And if it's not, can it be brought back by cloning? The Tasmanian tiger, the world's largest marsupial predator, was deliberately hunted to extinction through fear, ignorance and greed. Told here is the complete story of the tiger: how it evolved, lived and was wiped out. It is based on 19th and 20th century records and includes descriptions from people claiming to have seen it recently Is the Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, still out there? Thousands of Australians, including dedicated and serious scientists, claim to have seen it. This is the story of how ignorance, fear and lack of caring led to the extinction of the world's largest marsupial predator.