Important Facts For Prelims
Tasmanian Tiger
- 21 Oct 2019
- 2 min read
Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) has recently released a document detailing eight reported sightings of the Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, in the last three years.
- The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine (a dog headed pouched dog) was an exclusively carnivorous marsupial that is considered to be extinct (also the IUCN status).
- Marsupial is a mammal of an order whose members are born incompletely developed and are typically carried and suckled in a pouch on the mother's belly. Marsupials are found chiefly in Australia and New Guinea, and also in America.
- Thylacine was widespread over continental Australia, extending North to New Guinea and south to Tasmania (an Island state of Australia).
- It was confined to Tasmania in recent times and disappeared from mainland Australia over 2000 years ago, mainly because of over-hunting by humans, diseases and competition from the Dingo (Canis lupus), a wild dog native to Australia.
- The Thylacine was also persecuted because it was believed to be a threat to sheep and in its latter years it was hunted for the purposes of collection by museums and zoos.
- The last known thylacine died in captivity over 80 years ago, in Tasmania’s Hobart Zoo in 1936.
- It is also known as the Tasmanian Wolf and bears some resemblance to a dog, with its distinguishing features being the dark stripes beginning at the rear of its body and extending into its stiff tail and abdominal pouch.
