What was the Tasmanian Tiger?

It lived in Australia resembling a sort of cross between a coyote and a striped tiger. Its facial features were definitely canine, and one of the most unique reported features were that it could open its mouth very wide (almost 120 degrees), revealing 46 menacing looking teeth. The opossum has 50; other predators have 20 to 40 teeth.

The back legs were longer than the front making it able to have a running-hopping gait similar to that of the lynx, bobcat or Manx cats. Its back end nearly resembled that of a kangaroo. It had feet similar to cat's paws. Its ears were rounded, not pointed like a coyote's. The adult animal was approximately 6 feet from tail to nose and weighed about 65 pounds.

What made this creature even more unique was that both sexes had pouches. The females pouch opened to the rear, unlike other marsupials. The male's pouch was said to protect its genitalia from the thick and thorny underbrush.

Now, that is an interesting description, isn't it? This creature was certainly worth preserving, but that didn't happen.

Why and How Did it Become Extinct?

By the time colonization came to Australia, the tiger had largely declined in population on the mainland. Its primary habitat was centralized to Tasmania. It is believed among scientists that disease and other factors (not listed) were responsible for the decline. They were not hunted by the Aborigine people for food or hides.

The introduction of dogs, domestic grazing animals and guns was a recipe for true disaster. As with ranchers at the time, any predator was killed on sight. The Australian government enacted a bounty which is thought to bear the largest responsibility for the animal's extinction.

Specimens were sent to zoos in the early 1900's but unfortunately the facilities at the time were little more than slaughter houses. Inadequate care, poor diet, lack of exercise by being kept in small cages killed all of those who survived the bounties. The last known specimen affectionately known as "Benjamin" died September 7^th, 1936 in the Hobart Zoo.

But Are They Really Gone?

The Tasmanian Tiger was placed on the International Endangered Species List until 1986. By international law, any species on this list for which no live specimens have been recorded for 50 years be declared extinct.

But that's not the end of the story. It is a fact that there are places in Australia and Tasmania that have never been explored by humans. So it's possible they're still with us.

Thousands of sightings since 1936 have been reported in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Australian mainland have been reported, although none have been confirmed. There have been photographs and short videos taken of creatures thought to be Tasmanian Tigers, unfortunately the quality makes it hard for experts to make a positive identification. (At least that's what the experts say.)

The last possible sighting picture known to the public was taken in 2005 by a German tourist named Klaus Emmerichs. Scientists have dismissed the picture as being of too poor quality to tell anything definitive.

But Is It Really Gone?

"Aye, there's the rub..." (Shakespeare). Other animals thought to be extinct do in fact, exist today.

The Coelacanth fish is the best known example of an "extinct" species being found alive and well. In fact, there are two species of this "living fossil" in existence.

The Black Footed Ferret was thought to be extinct in the wild in North America until a chance capture of live specimens in the 1980's.

The Jaguarundi, a unique and beautiful cat though to be extinct in North America as well has been photographed by respected scientists. Its existence is accepted by the scientific community.

These animals were written off as extinct, but are now known alive and endangered. So, is "Tazzy," as the Australians call it, really out there? Thousands of sightings and dozens of photographs suggest that Tazzy hasn't gone. He's just in hiding.