| The author of the online
publication Magnificent
Survivor - Continued Existence of the Tasmanian Tiger, who
writes under the pseudonym "Tigerman", has written the following
presentation for the Thylacine Museum which details the difficult and dedicated
field research that he has undertaken in recent years.
MAGNIFICENT SURVIVOR - CONTINUED
EXISTENCE OF THE TASMANIAN TIGER
"Tigerman" (2005)
The more magnificent a
survival story becomes,
the less likely a society
to believe it is true.
Yet stronger the reason
to prove it so.
During 2004/2005 a book
was published free on the internet which offers new information supporting
the continued existence of the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
or thylacine. The book is a culmination of my six-year attempt to
prove the continued existence of the thylacine, and it offers a good field-based
addition to the thylacine debate. Field advice is offered in greater
detail and with higher accuracy than has ever been available before.
The book contains more than 60 colour images, all new to the thyacine debate.
Cameron Campbell's Thylacine
Museum is the most comprehensive and useful analysis of Tasmanian tiger
history and biology. Cameron and I saw a good match of field and
academic work, so we decided to form a solid partnership between our two
websites. |
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| Several
plaster casts (not shown at relative size to each other) taken of possible
thylacine tracks by the author of Magnificent Survivor. Note
the distinctive shapes of the plantar pads, as well as the arrangement
of the toes. Compare these casts to the illustrations of thylacine
and other animal tracks shown here. |
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| My book is titled Magnificent
Survivor - Continued Existence of the Tasmanian Tiger. Its only
purpose is to declare to the world that the thylacine is not extinct; it
is in desperate peril, and immediate legislative change is required if
the species is to continue. One truth holds firm; that society will
not protect a species it thinks is extinct.
Human impacts are acting
now in Tasmania to hold the thylacine species down, yet the idea of governments
changing land use practices to protect the thylacine is considered laughable,
because the species is regarded as extinct. An Australian media company
seeking notoriety has recently offered a large reward for the capture of
a live Tasmanian tiger. Comment from Cameron Campbell was that offering
such rewards for the capture of endangered animals would be highly illegal
in the USA. It is highly illegal in Australia also, which illustrates
the point. The thylacine is not classified as endangered,
it is classified as extinct, so protection measures effectively
do not exist for this species. There can be no protection for the
Tasmanian tiger until the world accepts that it exists. |
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| A
large 4WD vehicle was purchased in 1999, along with AUD$6,000 worth of
automatic, motion-activated video cameras and associated paraphernalia. |
An incredible story
waits to be told in Tasmania; a story of unbelievable survival ability
in the face of human ignorance and greed. Here is a monumental historical
mistake, with a slim chance now to turn the past around and change conservation
forever.
The species does exist,
however despite extensive ongoing fieldwork I have personally seen no thylacine
sign for two years as of the time of this writing. My fear is that
the Tasmanian tiger will slip quietly away before the story is told.
The fact that the species is regarded as extinct clearly means that it
must be very close to that point. |
