Thylacines in Canada

[Tim May]

Hamlyn’s Menagerie Magazine for December 1916 (Vol.2; No.8) includes an article “Interesting Animals at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada” written by James G. French.

This article records that on 24th August of that year a large collection of animals arrived from Sydney including:-

“two fine examples of that now almost extinct animal the thylacine or marsupial wolf of Tasmania, male and female”. (The article also mentions that the shipment included ten Tasmanian devils.)

I know that there were thylacines in both Washington and New York, but I’ve not encountered any other references to thylacines in Canada; does anybody have any further information about these animals?

 

[TZFan]

Interesting. I had never heard of thylacine in Canada but then again I never imagined we would have had them.

I thought when devils first arrived at Toronto Zoo in the 1990s it was the first time they had been displayed in Canada so that's interesting too.

I would think if any of us knows anything it would be Snowleopard. Did the article say what zoo they went to?

 

[Tim May]

Did the article say what zoo they went to?

No the article doesn’t state to what zoo the thylacines were sent.

I know that New York (Bronx) Zoo’s third thylacine, a short-lived animal, was acquired on 7th November 1916; was it possibly one of these animals? (I’ve not heard that it came via Canada.)

 

[TZFan]

I suppose anything is possible. I dont know why they would ship animals to Canada to head to US zoos when they could have come in any US port but again anything is possible.

Back then Canadian zoos would have been more limited. There would have been Riverdale Zoo (Toronto), Calgary Zoo, Assiniboine Park and Zoo and maybe something in Quebec. Snowleopard likely knows if there are smaller ones I'm missing but to get a thylacine I would guess it would need to be one of the bigger centers.

I'm interested to learn more about this too.

 

[snowleopard]

I would think if any of us knows anything it would be Snowleopard. Did the article say what zoo they went to?

I saw this thread a few days ago but sadly I am unable to offer any assistance. To be honest I am rather intrigued to find out the answers but I fear that it could be a futile task to do the research.

 

[TZFan]

I thought you would be a remote chance. Hard to even know where one would start trying to figure it all out. I agree it may be a nearly impossible task.

 

[Arizona Docent]

This is just speculation and may be of no help, but might Canada have gotten animals from Australia (easier than other countries) because they are both part of the British Commonwealth?

 

[TZFan]

Interesting theory Arizona Docent. That may be a possibility.

I found the article.

Full text of "Hamlyn's menagerie magazine"

Sounds like a private individual was the owner of a huge list of species.

 

[Pertinax]

I know that there were thylacines in both Washington and New York, but I’ve not encountered any other references to thylacines in Canada; does anybody have any further information about these animals?

I've never seen a reference to Thylacines in Canada before- however, the description sounds 100% in this case. Of course the records of exports of them can never be proven to be complete and some may have been missed by the main authors.

 

[IanRRobinson]

To ship a large collection of animals across the Pacific Ocean in the middle of WW1 when the U-boat campaign was inflicting such damage on British Empire and Commonwealth ships (2,327,326 tons of allied and neutral shipping would be sunk in 1916) suggests to me that somebody was paying good money.

I can't help thinking that cash would have been US dollars, and the animals in question went to the USA..

 

[TZFan]

U boats weren't a threat to shipping in the Pacific during World War I. The vast majority of the action was in the Atlantic. I doubt that would have increased costs. The Pacific was fairly secure. Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and all of the British, French and Dutch colonies were on the Allied side. However a journey that far would have been costly and the likely source of that cash is more likely an American.

 

[MRJ]

U boats weren't a threat to shipping in the Pacific during World War I.

However there was a significant shortage of ships. It seems likely that a shipment of animals would have taken whatever ship was available, with other cargoes taking priority. So that probably explains why a shipment destined for the US would have landed in Canada. Also at that time the US was not an ally as it had not yet entered the war.

 

[Tim May]

I've never seen a reference to Thylacines in Canada before- however, the description sounds 100% in this case

Agreed; unlike, say, the alleged thylacine in Chester, discussed on another thread and which seems extremely improbable, this account seems authentic.

It should also be noted that, according to this article, the animals that landed in Canada were the property of Ellis S. Joseph - who was the source of the third and fourth Bronx Zoo thylacines.

 

[TZFan]

The fact they were brought here by the same man who brought in the Bronx thylacines makes it sound even more likely they headed south of the border.

I tried looking up Mr. Joseph and he appears to have been an animal broker and collector from Sydney, Australia.

Here's mention of the 1916 thylacines at the Bronx.
The Thylacine Museum - The Thylacine in Captivity: Zoos, Circuses and Menageries (page 18)

There's also mention of the platypus who died in the article. It also was to go to the Bronx.
BURRELL'S PLATYPUSARY - MANILLA HERITAGE MUSEUM

And another mention of Joseph and his animal dealings... about a chimp this time. The first gives a brief bio of Joseph.
Australasian Zoo & Circus Animals Historical Journal: "Almost Human" - The Sins of the Simians Part 1
Australasian Zoo & Circus Animals Historical Journal: "Stormy Old Casey" - The Sins of the Simians Part 2

 

[Pertinax]

It should also be noted that, according to this article, the animals that landed in Canada were the property of Ellis S. Joseph - who was the source of the third and fourth Bronx Zoo thylacines.

Its possible this pair were destined for the Bronx and were transited via Canada. The female then died and the male went to the Bronx-as its third specimen. Otherwise if they had gone elsewhere I feel sure they would have been recorded at whichever place they ended up.

 

[TZFan]

It does seem highly likely we have solved the case of the mysterious Canadian Thylacines. Isn't it great when we can all work together to answer questions?

 

[Tim May]

Its possible this pair were destined for the Bronx and were transited via Canada. The female then died and the male went to the Bronx-as its third specimen.

Agreed, this does seem plausible; indeed I suggested this possibility in my second post in this thread.

EDIT:- This definitely is the case; since typing the above I have found the following in the New York Zoological Society Annual Report for 1916:-

Mr. Joseph made the trip from Sydney N.S.W,stopped at Honolulu and went thence to Victoria, British Columbia. From there he crossed the continent to New York.......the following were brought by Mr.Joseph........three pairs of Tasmanian devils, one Tasmanian wolf.....

During the time period between the thylacine landing in Canada and arriving at Bronx Zoo I wonder if it were displayed temporarily in any other North American zoos.

It does seem highly likely we have solved the case of the mysterious Canadian Thylacines. Isn't it great when we can all work together to answer questions?

Yes, it is; thanks, everybody for your contributions.

 

[Pertinax]

It does seem highly likely we have solved the case of the mysterious Canadian Thylacines. Isn't it great when we can all work together to answer questions?

Yes, and I imagine these were presumably the only Thylacines to ever enter Canada.