1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 1: Lauren vogelbam here. You've no doubt heard of the Tasmanian 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: Devil or seen an animated version the Whirling Dervish and 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: Looney Tunes cartoons. But what about the Tasmanian tiger. It's 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: actually not even a tiger at all, instead a marsupial 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: known as the Thila scene and it's thought to have 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: gone extinct almost a hundred years ago. But did it really? 8 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: While many experts believed the last known Thilacene died at 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 1: Australia's Hobart Zoos in ninety six, others ardently claimed that 10 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: the animal still exists because they've spotted one or more 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: in the wild. We spoke by email with Katherine Medlock, 12 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: Honorary Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Tasmanian Museum and 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:51,639 Speaker 1: Art Gallery. She said the international, Australian and State definition 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: of an extinct species is that there has been no 15 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: reliable evidence of the species for fifty years. By this definition, 16 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: they are officially an extinct species. Although designated as officially extinct, 17 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: it's difficult to prove that something is not there, as 18 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: opposed to proving it is. There are many cases of 19 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: species being rediscovered many years after supposed extinction. We also 20 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: spoke via email with Rick Schwartz, an animal ambassador for 21 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: California San Diego Zoo. He explained that quote. Since the 22 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, there have been a few claims that Tasmanian 23 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: tigers have been seen for brief moments in the wild. However, 24 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: no substantial evidence has proven they exist at this time. 25 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: We also spoke via email with Neil Waters of the 26 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: Thi Lacene Awareness Group of Australia, who sort of disagrees quote, 27 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: do I think the animal is extinct? No, because I 28 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: have seen too and been coughed slash embarked at by one. 29 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: In South Australia, there have been more than seven thousand 30 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: documented sightings of Thi lacens or animals that appear to 31 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: be thilocenes, but the majority of those sightings on mainland Australia. 32 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: According to the signed Vick formula applied to mammals, though 33 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: it is extinct and has been since ninety six, for 34 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: fifty years the animal was considered rare and endangered. This 35 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: fact inconveniently keeps the animal as a recent extinction rather 36 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: than an ancient one. We should lose hope over and 37 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: forget about. Let's step back a bit. What exactly is 38 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: a Tasmanian tiger. Schwartz explained that it's not a big 39 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: cat at all. He said the name tiger most likely 40 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: was given to the animal by the European settlers due 41 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: to the light stripes that went from the spine down 42 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: each side on the hind end of the animal. Most 43 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: people agree that the Tasmanian tiger looks like a medium sized, 44 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: short haired dog, with subtle stripes on its hind quarters 45 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: and the base of its tail. The tail was thick 46 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,920 Speaker 1: and muscular at the base, more like a kangaroo's tail 47 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: than a dog's tail. The colorations were described as a 48 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: light brown and yellow brown with darker brown stripes. These 49 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: animals weighed about forty five to seventy pounds that's twenty 50 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: to thirty kilos, with a body length of fort is 51 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: or a hundred to cis with that tail adding another 52 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: twenty or fifty to sixty centimes. Most stood about two 53 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: feet tall or two thirds of a meter at the shoulder. 54 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: Short said, in our modern times, we usually think of 55 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: marsupials as koalas and kangaroos. However, the Tasmanian tiger had 56 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: a number of unique characteristics. Being a dog like medium 57 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: sized carnivore that's also a marsupial, its size and features 58 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: were more similar to that of a small wolf or 59 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: large fox. Combine that with the striped pattern on the 60 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: hind end and a thick muscular tail similar to a kangaroo, 61 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: and you've got a pretty unique animal. And Waters said, 62 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: when you have a close look at the prince, we 63 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: find you will see time and time again at the 64 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: broad splay of the toes and the claw drag impressions 65 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: from the massive fixed claws on the animals four feet. 66 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: The reason they are sprayed wide and not like a 67 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: dog is because th lacenes don't have webbing between their toes. 68 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: Their front feet also still act similar to hands, as 69 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: they can both hop like a kangaroo or run on 70 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: all fours. As a result, many of the princes appear 71 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: that the front feet are literally grabbing the ground as 72 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: they dig in on curves or at high speed when 73 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: pursuing prey. When Europeans first colonized Australia, the Tasmanian tiger 74 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: was rarely seen. The animals started to become increasingly blamed 75 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: for at tax on sheep. However, so private companies and 76 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: the Tasmanian government attempted to curb the population by establishing 77 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: bounties in exchange for dead Thi lacenes. Adding to their 78 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: eventual extinction was the sad fact that Australia's colonization eroded 79 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: the Thi lacens habitat. By the nineteen twenties, sightings of 80 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: the Tasmanian tiger in the wild became extremely rare, and 81 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty a farmer shot and killed the second 82 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,679 Speaker 1: to last known wild Tasmanian tiger. The final Thi lacene 83 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: was captured in the Florentine Valley in ninety three and 84 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: transferred to the Hobart Zoo on September se In six, 85 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: the animal, known as Benjamin, died in captivity. Black and 86 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: white footage recorded in nineteen thirty three would become historically 87 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: significant as images of the final thiala scene. In seven, 88 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: the Tasmanian Animals and Birds Protection Board a later to 89 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: become the National Park Service, launched a series to determine 90 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: where thialacenes still might be found, Medlock said, Unfortunately, a 91 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,720 Speaker 1: living animal was not discovered. The final search in this 92 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: series was into the Jaine River area in western Tasmania. 93 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: On this search, some Thi lacene footprints were discovered in 94 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: creek bed. The original plaster casts of these prints are 95 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: lodged in the Tasmanian Museum. The Tasmanian Museum doesn't receive 96 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: sighting reports and we don't have the expertise to assess them. 97 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: This is done by the Department of Primary Industries, Water 98 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,479 Speaker 1: and Environment. They continue to record reported sightings and take 99 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: them seriously. Often, however, sightings, films and photographs are released 100 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: to the media through the people who are reporting them 101 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: rather than a government body. Over the years, there have 102 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: been several instances of photographs and films purported to be 103 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: Thi lacens in the wild, but none have been verified 104 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:12,039 Speaker 1: as genuine evidence of an animal. Waters however, contends that 105 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: there have been dozens of credible sightings of dilocenes. He said, 106 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: actually hundreds of them too many A name. One in 107 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: particular was a bus load of tourists in Western Australia 108 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: back in the nineteen eighties who all saw the animal 109 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: at close range in broad daylight whilst on a wildflower tour. 110 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: The fact that we find headless kangaroos all over Australia 111 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 1: is a key piece of physical evidence that these animals 112 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: still persist, but nobody wants to know about it because 113 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: it's always blamed on either hunters or satanists by ill 114 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: informed people who don't understand how these animals feed. Waters 115 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: has been working tirelessly to raise public awareness of this 116 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: animal's continued existence for the past five years, meeting dozens 117 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: of witnesses and collecting thousands of statements regarding sightings of 118 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: this animal in both Tasmania and across mainland Australia. His 119 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: work appears in the twenty seventeen document entry Living the 120 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: Thigh Lacene Dream, which follows Waters travels throughout mainland Australia 121 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: to collect evidence of predation, as well as stories of 122 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: sightings from witnesses who are adamant they've seen the thi 123 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: la scene both recently and historically. Today's episode was written 124 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: by Wendy Bowman and produced by Tyler Clang. For more 125 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: on this and lots of other curious topics, visit how 126 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,119 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production of iHeart Radio. 127 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the iHeart 128 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 129 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: favorite shows.