New thylacine book

Tim May

Tim May

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Personally I am rather sceptical of the claims that thylacines still survive (although, of course, I very much hope that they do) but ZooChatters may be interested in the recent book:-

• The Tasmanian Tiger: Extinct or Extant ? (editor:Rebecca Lang)

This book, published September 2014, explores the evidence for and against the continuing existence of thylacines.

I haven’t seen a copy of this book myself yet but I think it will appeal to member “ThylacineAlive”.
 
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I think I will need to get a copy of this. I was sorry to discover from the Summary that Ned Terry has died. He was a Dairy Farmer in Northern Tasmania with a long history of interest and searching for the Thylacine. I sought him out on my last visit there and had an interesting discussion with him. Now he's become, like Eric Guiler, another of the longterm searchers who has died without ever proving whether it still exists or not (if that is possible).
 
The most valuable bit seems to be a collection of interviews with bush people (now deceased) who knew Thylacines before their official extinction. I hope these accounts were properly documented and preserved.

The rest - lets say, with modern technology, the existence of live thylacines, yetis, loch ness monsters is no longer believable.
 
Jurek7 said:
The rest - lets say, with modern technology, the existence of live thylacines, yetis, loch ness monsters is no longer believable.
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Yetis and Loch Ness Monsters, never. Thylacines- very probably not either. With all those remote cameras etc and people out in the bush looking for them all the time, I can't believe no one has managed to obtain decent photos by now if they still existed, even if it was only in small numbers.
 
Since my original post that opened this thread, I have now purchased a copy of this book.

I am still sceptical that thylacines exist; the book didn’t convince me otherwise. However, it is a very thought-provoking book that I enjoyed reading and I would recommend it to others.
 
My parents think they may have seen one dart across the road while touring Tasmania on their honeymoon in the 1950's. It might be possible to believe that there were still a few out there then. But 50 years later, given the complete lack of any real evidence in the interim? Unfortunately I think we can be sure they have gone.
 
MRJ said:
My parents think they may have seen one dart across the road while touring Tasmania on their honeymoon in the 1950's. It might be possible to believe that there were still a few out there then.
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Almost certainly still extant in the 1940's. Possibly into the 1950's and beyond? I'm not sure when the exact cut-off point i.e. extinction, really occurred, no one is of course.

Btw. 'dart' is not a behaviour usually associated with Thylacine. Most past observers described them as relatively unhurried, even when in proximity to people or vehicles. Another reason why a decent photograph as evidence shouldn't be so hard to obtain.
 
I've come to believe that the 40's was the likely time that they finally went. 5o's of course is possible. Now though I don't think so.

I always liked the look of Ned Terry, sorry to hear he's died.
 
oldrover said:
I always liked the look of Ned Terry, sorry to hear he's died.
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He was nice- friendly and welcoming.

I think his section in this new book(or part of it) is the same one as appears in the Thylacine Museum's 'Magnificent Survivor' section. It gives some interesting details of general aspects of behaviour passed down by word of mouth from those who knew the species at firsthand.

Though I have not seen it yet, I would also think that Nick Mooney's chapter/summary of the overall situation is the most believable/logical.
 
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