Boston, MA. A stuffed Tasmanian Tiger seen at The Harvard Museum is something to behold. With stripes on its back and the features of a large dog or wolf, it was the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial (distinguished by the young being carried in a pouch).And one of only 2 marsupials where both sexes had a pouch.
The last known tiger died in 1936 from neglect at The Hobart Zoo in Tasmania less than 2 months after it was declared a protected species. Hunted to extinction in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea by European settlers, it is one of the most fabled, mystical animals of this century.
But since it’s declared extinction, there have been thousands of unconfirmed sightings. In 1983, Ted Turner offered a $100,000 reward for proof of the continued existence of a tiger and as recently as 2005, an Australian magazine offered a million dollars for proof.
Movies have been made including The Hunter starring Willem Dafoe, and numerous books have been written about the tiger. Even talk about cloning preserved DNA adds to the legend. So you never know. Extinct or not? Either way, a fascinating animal.
Photo by Corrie Woods