The Tasmanian tiger could still be alive in the wilderness, an extraoardinary new study has claimed.
Researchers from the University of Tasmania used a database of over 1200 observations from Tasmania dating back to 1910 to map the species‘ decline and eventual extinction.
The last Tasmanian tigers are said to have died in the 1930s, but Professor Barry Brook says it is likely the species became extinct as late as the early 2000s.
The study found that the thylacine’s distribution shrank rapidly after a period when bounties were offered for animal skins across Tasmania, and the most likely location of the last surviving subpopulation was in the southwestern region.
“We found that the thylacine’s distribution shrank rapidly after a period when bounties were provided for animal skins across Tasmania (1888-1909), and that the most likely location of the last surviving subpopulation was in the southwestern region,” Professor Brook told The Mercury.
“The results showed that extinction likely occurred within four decades after the last capture, so around the 1940s to 1970s.
“But we found, through further analysis, that extinction might have been as recent as the late 1980s to early 2000s, with a very small chance that it still persists in the remote southwestern wilderness areas.”
The team estimated the most likely extinction date for the species using uncertainty modelling and sensitivity analysis. The study provides the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the thylacine’s extinction to date and sheds new light on the fate of this iconic species.
Co-author Dr Stephen Sleightholme from the International Thylacine Specimen Database said the thylacine was one of the most fascinating and enigmatic animals of modern times.
“It has captivated the public’s imagination for decades and inspired many efforts to prove its ongoing existence. Our study shows that there is still much to learn about its history and ecology,” he said.