Why did we kill them . And for what . The Thylacine .

I still like to think their might be a handful roaming the south west forests, but I know I may just be clutching at straws.

I always think it is odd that our rego plates and the government logo proudly display this animal that we've recklessly wiped off the face of the earth. I'd love to hear that somewhere some survive, but I reckon that's wishful thinking, even in the unpopulated west of the state.

The film The Hunter (www.imdb.com...) without ruining the story - it's about the search for the last Thylacine.

Why blame the Europeans? European settlement began in 1777 and the Thylacine was made extinct in 1936. At what point do we Aussies start taking the blame for the things we do ourselves?

originally posted by: hutch622
Cryptozoology

This includes looking for living examples of animals that are considered extinct

So there was 2 left and we had to taunt them . Yes sometimes i am so proud to be human .

A part of me wants to believe that somewhere in Tasmania's vast wilderness there are pockets of these still surviving . The other part of me knows this is just wishful thing .

Have faith my friend, I have seen a video of one filmed in the wild, (I think because when you got video of an animal that is supposed to be extinct why take only a few seconds of video) and I can tell it was a Thyalicene.

There was a bloke ( who lived only a mile or so from my parents farm) who swore black and blue that he a seen a Thyalicene and saw its foot prints many times. This was in the south west of WA. The ole block got ridiculed to the max for 30 years that I know but he's gone now. My brothers can tell a story or two about their expereinces on the farm to after they tool it over.

Have faith mate, the masses are not always right.

I believe they are still out there... I have no proof I can only offer what I saw in Florida, with the Florida panther.

Till around the 90's when the do-gooder left screwed things up, the panther survived in a heavily populated state.

I would say the odds are decent a small population is still there if inbreeding hasn't finished them off.

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Here is just a few seconds of hope .

Sorry, that is from the movie "The Hunter" with Wiilem Defoe. A weird, but interesting movie. Though I do believe there are some left in the wild just from the abundance of anecdotal accounts.

The problem is there is such huge political ramifications if they do find one in the form of protection and land/farm management, that I don't think they really want to find one, officially.

They do it here in the states all the time. Large predators "officially" don't exist in many states where they are commonly seen and even shot. This makes it so wildlife management doesn't have to have a plan or deal with protective status and its political ramifications.

a reply to: hutch622

I'm sorry if I offend you, but who cares. There are plenty of animals left to waste your energy and emotional reserves protecting. I just don't get this.

a reply to: Halfswede

Sorry, that is from the movie "The Hunter" with Wiilem Defoe

Talk about a buzz-kill . Oh well it gave a couple of seconds of hope to one person as in me . What you say about the ramifications may very well hold true but maybe not in the way you are suggesting . Would they not make public any confirmed pockets of these animals due to the very real threat of them being harassed back to extinction . Maybe . I dont know .

edit on 10-3-2015 by hutch622 because: (no reason given)

edit on 10-3-2015 by hutch622 because: because

Talk about a buzz-kill.

edit on 10-3-2015 by hutch622 because: (no reason given)

a reply to: dr1234

I'm sorry if I offend you, but who cares. There are plenty of animals left to waste your energy and emotional reserves protecting. I just don't get this.

Does this thread bother you . How odd .

Thank you so much for the vids, I've always loved the Thylacine, just wish my only chance to see one moving around alive wasn't while being taunted

a reply to: learnatic

Have faith my friend, I have seen a video of one filmed in the wild,

I have hope , not so much faith . Interesting that that this man claimed to see one in WA . But then again there is lots of Australia where people don't visit very often . Perhaps next weekend i might do something on one of my favourite animals , the Bilby . The greater Bilby to be more exact . These are just trippers of animals but sadly endangered . I will try to keep it positive .

originally posted by: hutch622

A part of me wants to believe that somewhere in Tasmania's vast wilderness there are pockets of these still surviving . The other part of me knows this is just wishful thing .

I agree. Although I do know a couple of people who claim to have seen one while holidaying in Tassie a few years ago. Not very convincing I know, but I find them knowledgeable and reliable enough to at least leave open the possibility (though it's not a very strong possibility).

It's very likely remnant populations were still around into the late 1950's, but since then it seems no one has really found any physical signs of the Thylacine. Still, unlike many other claimed cryptids (that are simply folklore) this one is very possible.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: hutch622

Different times my friend, the European settlers really did mess up this place with all their introduced animals.

Not only the Europeans. The mainland Thylacine's decline into eventual extinction (around 2,000 years ago) seems to have begun (coincidentally or otherwise) with the introduction of the dingo.

Approximately 4000 years ago the Thylacine was widespread throughout New Guinea and most of mainland Australia, as well as Tasmania. Its extinction coincided closely with the arrival of the dingo in Australia and the wild dog in New Guinea. Dingoes never reached Tasmania, and most scientists see this as the main reason for the Thylacine's survival there.

Apart from being hunted into decline, it seems the Thylacine simply wasn't a very adaptable species (nor as abundant as they were made out to be). No doubt there would still be Thylacine around if we had taken more care, but for many reasons it would be struggle for them to survive (even if they weren't hunted) and decline inevitable.

Although its extinction is generally attributed to these relentless efforts by farmers and bounty hunters (Tasmanian PWS 2006), it is likely that multiple factors led to its decline and eventual extinction. These include competition with wild dogs introduced by settlers (Boyce 2006), loss of habitat, the concurrent extinction of prey species, and a distemper-like disease may also have affected the species (Guiler 2006; Paddle 2000; Tasmanian DPIW 2007).

The extinction of the Thylacine was predicted quite accurately in the mid 1800's.

The famous naturalist John Gould foresaw the Thylacine's demise when he published his Mammals of Australia between 1848 and 1863: 'When the comparatively small island of Tasmania becomes more densely populated, and its primitive forests are intersected with roads from the eastern to the western coasts, the numbers of this singular animal will speedily diminish, extermination will have its full sway, and it will then, like the wolf of England and Scotland, be recorded as an animal of the past' (Gould 1863)

Some good info in the links.

www.environment.gov.au...
australianmuseum.net.au...

a reply to: Cogito, Ergo Sum

Good links, thanks for that.

I tend to agree, that the thylacine was already struggling by the time other more capable animals and hunters turned up.

Very sad. That video was a bit haunting indeed.

It's crazy to think of what species, in 100 years time, people will be looking back at thinking ... "Wow! That existed?!"

Times change. Humans change things. We meddle

Man that video is still hard to see

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
Man that video is still hard to see

It just sucks the nice right out of you! ...as some people are known to do, I heard. (Not you.)

a reply to: hutch622

Why, oh why, oh why would you reveal the place you spotted it to the entire world? Do they want some sick hunter going out there looking to bag one?

a reply to: IvanAstikov

Perhaps they have found them and are doing exactly what i hope they would do , keep it quiet . However , humans being what they are i think the temptation to announce the re-discovery would be to great . As for someone shooting one , i cannot see anyone with an IQ larger than their shoe size doing this . But i have been wrong about things before more than once .

originally posted by: Halfswede

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Here is just a few seconds of hope .

Sorry, that is from the movie "The Hunter" with Wiilem Defoe. A weird, but interesting movie. Though I do believe there are some left in the wild just from the abundance of anecdotal accounts.

The problem is there is such huge political ramifications if they do find one in the form of protection and land/farm management, that I don't think they really want to find one, officially.

They do it here in the states all the time. Large predators "officially" don't exist in many states where they are commonly seen and even shot. This makes it so wildlife management doesn't have to have a plan or deal with protective status and its political ramifications.

If a few still do exist, and you do see one, do not tell anyone.

a reply to: hutch622 I am cautiously optimistic about the Tasmanian Tiger. www.youtube.com...