Enduring mystery of the Tasmanian tiger

Sep 6 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE last captive specimen of the Tasmanian tiger died in Hobart Zoo on September 7, 1936 – but could the species still be out there in the wild?

It was hunted almost to extinction in the wild in the early 1900s with intensive hunting encouraged by bounties.

Other contributory factors may have been disease, the introduction of dogs and human encroachment into its habitat.

The last one known was captured in 1933 and given the name Benjamin, although its sex is not known for certain.

It is believed to have died as the result of neglect — locked out of its sheltered sleeping quarters, it was exposed to baking heat during the day and freezing temperatures at night.

But was that really the end of the road for the wolf-like marsupial which grew up to five feet long?

Sporadic sightings have been claimed in the years since Benjamin’s death with the most recent being by wildlife ranger Hans Naarding in 1985.

Many unsuccessful searches have been made of areas where the Tasmanian tiger could have survived undetected by humans.

A reserve was set up in 1966 in southwestern Tasmania in the hopes possible surviving animals would have adequate habitat.

It’s an enduring mystery which may possibly never be answered. The general attitude, though, is that the species is extinct.

Its demise was a sad end for an animal which once roamed Indonesia and Papua New Guinea as well as Australia.

The Tasmanian tiger – known more officially as the thylacine – gained its name from the stripes across its back and tail.

It was a nocturnal species, but was often observed basking in the sun. It hunted alone or in small groups.

Sheep farmers didn’t appreciate their predatory nature and by the end of the 19th century the creatures were being systematically exterminated.

In an echo of Jurassic Park, DNA from preserved specimens were re-activated in the laboratory for the first time earlier this year.

Scientists took genetic material and inserted it into mouse embryos where it played a role in developing cartilage and future bone.

Dr Andrew Pask, from the University of Melbourne in Australia, who led the research, said: “This is the first time that DNA from an extinct species has been used to induce a functional response in another living organism.

“As more and more species of animals become extinct, we are continuing to lose critical knowledge of gene function and their potential.”

l LONDON experienced its first raids by German bombers on September 7, 1940.

Hundreds of civilians were killed and many more injured in what came to be known as the blitz.

It was the largest the Luftwaffe had attempted on the capital and marked a decidedly new turn in the Second World War.

One bomb fell directly down the ventilation shaft of a crowded air raid shelter in an East London district, killing 14 people and injuring 40.

About 300 bombers attacked the city for over an hour and a half. The entire docklands area seemed to be ablaze as hundreds of fires lit up the sky.

As the blitz went on over the coming months, about 43,000 civilians died, almost 140,000 more were injured and more than a million homes were damaged or destroyed.