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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ005120S
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00:24 Extinction happened here, the death of the last individual
00:29 of an entire species. 00:30 Yes, the completed disappearance of the species from the planet 00:34 earth happened right here. 00:36 Extinct, dead, and gone forever. 00:40 This is where Benjamin died on Monday the 7th of September 00:44 1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 00:50 Benjamin was the nickname given to the last Tasmanian Tiger 00:54 alive anywhere in the world and when he died 00:58 the entire species died out. Or did it? 01:07 In 1982 a national park and Wildlife Officer Hunts Nodding 01:13 had gone to sleep in the back of his vehicle here in a remote 01:17 forested area in Northwest of Tasmania. 01:21 It was raining heavily, at two a.m. a noise startled him. 01:25 and out of habit, he scanned the surrounds with a spotlight 01:29 As he swept the beam around it came to rest on a large 01:33 thylacine standing side-on some 6 to 7 meters distance. 01:39 His camera bag was out of immediate reach, 01:41 so he decided to examine the animal carefully before risking 01:46 movement. It was an adult male in excellent condition 01:50 with 12 black stripes on a sandy coat. 01:53 It moved only once opening its jaws and showing its teeth. 01:58 After several minutes of observation he attempted to 02:02 reach for his camera bag, but in doing so he disturbed the 02:06 animal and it moved away into the undergrowth. 02:08 Leaving the vehicle and moving to where the animal had 02:12 disappeared, he noticed a strong scent which was typical 02:17 with previous records and sightings of the animal. 02:20 Netting's sighting started a secret two-year-long 02:25 government-funded tiger hunt for the retrieval of alive 02:29 thylacine, an animal which only four years later would be 02:34 listed as extinct and largely due to the impact of European 02:39 settlement on the island. 02:40 But what did Nodding actually see that night? 02:45 Could it really have been a Tasmanian tiger? 02:48 The mysterious animal which had last been seen almost 02:52 50 years earlier. The rarest animal in all the world? 02:56 An animal which had been the Crown Jewel in Tasmania's 03:00 untouched biological ecosystem? Well, join me on a journey 03:06 as we explore some of the remote areas of Tasmania in search 03:11 of this rare animal and examine the events that 03:15 led to its tragic demise. 03:34 When people think of Tasmania, they often think of a small 03:39 island south of the mainland Australia with very few people 03:43 and very few animals. But they couldn't be more wrong. 03:47 Tasmania like the majority of mainland Australia 03:51 has vast regions of bush and terrain which has hardly been 03:55 explored or seen by man. It's home to epic waterfalls 04:00 majestic mountains and deep impenetrable forests. 04:04 Even to this day over half of Tasmania's landscape 04:09 remains largely undisturbed by European colonization. 04:13 with over one-third of its land area, national parks. 04:17 Tasmania is truly a breath- taking wonder of the natural 04:22 world. In 1642 the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman 04:29 first discovered the island of Tasmania on his journey eastward 04:33 towards New Zealand. The island would remain undisturbed 04:37 for the next century or so until European Explorers 04:41 began mapping the island and the British eventually 04:44 colonized it. Over a century later in 1792 the French 04:50 explorer Jack la Baudier was the first European to even 04:54 encounter a thylacine. While exploring the island 04:58 he came across a dead strap marsupial which he described 05:02 as a dog-like animal. 05:04 It was not until 1808 however that the first detailed 05:09 scientific description was made by Tasmanian's Deputy Survey 05:14 General George Harrison five years later after the first 05:17 settlement of the island. Harris originally placed the 05:20 thylacine in the genus didelphis the family of American opossums 05:25 and marsupials describing it as a dog-headed opossum. 05:29 But it wouldn't be until 1810 that the thylacine along with 05:35 the majority of Australian mammals would be put into a 05:38 separate order of classifi- cation, a marsupial class 05:43 specific to Australian wildlife. The thylacine resembled a 05:48 large short-haired dog with a stiff tail that extended 05:52 from the body in a similar way of that of a kangaroo. 05:55 A full-grown thylacine ranged from 165- 210 cm in length 06:03 from nose to tail. and stood about 60 cm at the shoulders 06:08 and weighing up to about 30 kilograms. 06:11 Its most notable feature was its striped markings which 06:15 ran along the center of its back to the top of the tail 06:18 which earns its nickname, tiger. 06:21 As a marsupial both male and female had a backwards facing 06:25 pouch where its young would grow for upward to three months 06:29 before being old enough to leave its home and to begin learning 06:34 to hunt. Another unique feature of the thylacine was its amazing 06:39 ability to open its jaws up to 80 degrees, perfectly adapted 06:44 for hunting kangaroo and wallaby on the island. 06:47 The Tasmanian Tiger was also known to have amazing smell, 06:52 being able to track its prey from kilometers away. 06:56 It is without a doubt the Tasmanian Tigers resemblance 07:00 to a household dog, "man's best friend," that certainly has led 07:05 to a nostalgia and a disappointment from 07:08 wildlife lovers of its tragic demise. 07:11 Unlike the extinction of the Barbarian Lion or the Caspian 07:15 Tiger, the Thylacine stood alone as the final Apex Marsupial 07:21 within the Thylacine' s family its survival largely due to 07:26 it's location on an island which has been isolated 07:29 from the harm of European colonization. 07:32 Today, I'm standing in the North - west area of Tasmania 07:39 known as the Tarkine Forest to see the last possible area 07:44 where there is a slight chance a remnant population of Thylacine s 07:48 could still exist. 07:50 But let's learn more about how the Tasmanian Tiger came to 07:55 earn its extinct status, an icon for modern day extinction. 07:59 and is there really any possibility that it still has 08:04 survived to this day. Well, even when Europeans 08:08 first started to colonize Tasmania thylacine sightings were 08:13 rare and isolated to more rural areas. 08:16 This was because of the animal's nocturnal nature and its ability 08:21 to smell people from far away avoiding them at all costs. 08:26 Despite its elusive nature however Tasmanian Tigers 08:30 were common on the island and at little risk of extinction. 08:34 The indigenous Australians lived in perfect harmony 08:38 with the Tasmanian Flora and Forna but as Europeans 08:43 began to settle the good grazing areas for their farms, 08:46 the habitats of the thylacine s were taken over and so too 08:51 their hunting grounds. Sheep became a new food source 08:55 for the thylacine and because of the changes in its habitat 08:59 the animal developed a reputation for attacking and 09:03 eating sheep. 09:05 This famous quote about the thylacine by John Gulden 1863 09:10 predicted the tiger's demise. 09:51 Doctor Eric Gyler, Australia's leading thylacine researcher 09:56 estimated that the total thylacine population at the time of 10:00 British settlement in 1883 was between only 2,000 to 4,000 10:06 individuals. The destruction of sheep by alleged thylacine' s 10:11 led to the establishment of bounty schemes in an attempt 10:15 to control their numbers. The Vandeemans Land Company 10:19 introduced bounties on the thylacine from as early as 1830 10:23 and between 1888 and 1909 the Tasmanian Government 10:28 paid one pound per head, the equivalent of 100 pounds or more 10:33 today for dead at all thylacine s and 10 shillings for pups. 10:38 In all, they paid out 2,184 bounties but it is thought that 10:44 many more thylacines were killed than claimed for. 10:48 Its extinction is popularly attributed these relentless 10:53 efforts by farmers and bounty hunters in actively hunting 10:57 and killing the animal. 10:59 By the turn of the 20th century thylacine sightings were 11:04 extremely rare and the animal was believed to be completely 11:08 extinct on the East Coast and area where it had once 11:11 prospered. Despite this decline in numbers the Tasmanian public 11:17 still actively hunted the thylacine almost securing its 11:21 inevitable extinction. By the 1920s the amount of thylacine 11:26 sightings had dropped significantly to the point where 11:30 only bushmen and trappers would see an occasional dead one 11:33 in one of their snares. 11:35 The time was ticking for the animals continued survival 11:39 there was little pity for its quick demise and it was indeed 11:43 aim of the new colonizers to completely eradicate 11:46 the animal from existence. Sadly, it was a task that had 11:51 also already completed with the native Tasmanian Emu 11:55 that was also hunted to extinction in 1865. 12:00 And so it was the last known thylacine to be shot in the wild 12:08 was done so in 1930 by Wilf Batty a farmer from Obama. 12:13 He had hoped to capture the animal alive but he shot and 12:18 fatally wounded the large male specimen there's a photo 12:23 which proudly shows Batty with his prize. 12:26 But it wouldn't be until three years later in1933 12:32 that the last known thylacine also referred to as Benjamin 12:37 was trapped by Elias Churchill and sent to the Hobart Zoo 12:41 where it would live for the next three years. 12:44 Churchill was a renowned trapper having trapped at least 12:48 eight tigers during his life, in later interviews 12:51 he was adamant that the thylacine was still alive 12:55 and strong in the remote areas of the Florentine Valley 12:59 Up until 2022, the last known footage of a thylacine 13:04 was captured by the naturalizes David Flay and the images 13:09 are truly haunting. 13:11 During the filming of the animal Benjamin took a bite at Flag 13:15 and he has this scar on his bottom which would remain 13:19 for the rest of his life. It would not be the last time 13:23 that Flay would encounter a thylacine, however. 13:27 On the 7th of September, 1936 a zookeeper here at Hobart 13:33 Beaumaris Zoo walked into the thylacine cage to find Benjamin 13:38 locked outside of his den, he had died from the 13:41 cold weather, neglect, and lack of care. Such were the times 13:46 of the height of the Great Depression. 13:48 According to one account of the incident upon finding 13:52 the corpse of the last known thylacine, the keeper ended up 13:56 throwing it into a nearby bin. This would be the last time 14:01 anyone would ever see a thylacine in captivity. 14:04 It was only 59 days earlier that official protection of 14:09 the species was introduced by the Tasmanian Government 14:13 but too late to save it from extinction. 14:17 Benjamin's death here at the zoo would barely make the 14:20 morning paper and the zoo already went about making 14:24 plans to find another specimen to replace him, 14:27 A task that they were offering to pay handsomely for 14:30 but they would never find a replacement. 14:34 And despite the death of Benjamin, the public opinion 14:38 remained that the thylacine was still alive and vibrant in 14:43 the wilderness. An opinion which would perpetuate for 14:47 decades to come. 14:48 And so, the searches began with most people reluctant 14:54 to declare Benjamin as the last official thylacine, 14:57 expeditions began to the remote areas of the west coast and 15:02 Central Highlands in hope of capturing or photographing 15:06 a specimen. 15:08 And since that fatefully 1936 extinction date over 3,000 15:13 sightings have been reported by locals and bushmen 15:17 throughout the Tasmanian wilderness. 15:19 In 1937 Harry Pierce, a farmer claimed to have seen a thylacine 15:26 near Mt. Hobhouse observing the tracks of many others 15:30 in the snow. When told of the news of its extinction 15:34 he was surprised claiming there were many still around. 15:39 In 1946 David Flay himself went on a search in the Tasmanian 15:45 Wilderness to find two specimens for breeding purposes. 15:49 On his month-long expedition exploring the Jane River 15:53 he managed to snare a thylacine but the snare he was using 15:58 had extra padding so as not to injure or damage the animal 16:02 which allowed it to escape leaving behind a tuft 16:06 of its hair. This tuft of hair upon later examination 16:10 was positively identified to be that of a thylacine. 16:15 This was certain evidence that the thylacine still existed 16:20 at least until 1946. In 1953 Burr Mayer a 28-year-old 16:27 rabbit trapper claimed to have captured a Tasmanian tiger 16:32 in a snare that he had set for a wild dog, 16:34 when police authorities turned up they confiscated the corpse 16:38 and it was never to be seen again. 16:41 Mayer was adamant that the animal he had captured 16:45 that night was without a doubt a Tasmanian tiger. 16:49 In 1957 a photograph was taken from a helicopter flying over 16:55 the west of the island which the pilot claimed was definitely 16:59 a thylacine. An expedition was at once mounted in order to 17:04 capture a specimen which would be released again 17:07 after it'd been studied. 17:09 But despite the best efforts of a Disney Film Crew 17:13 and an expedition led by Sir Edmond Hillary in the 1960's 17:17 no specimen was ever found. 17:20 In the 1960's a woman claimed that she and her family 17:25 had seen a group of thylacine' s eating lobster scraps 17:28 in the remote fishing village of Temma on the northwest coast. 17:32 Like many others from that era they thylacine was viewed 17:37 as just another animal and she observed them amongst 17:40 Tasmanian Devils as well. In 1980, a woman in her own 17:45 garden found herself face to face with a thylacine 17:49 standing on a chicken coop, she would describe the event 18:04 But it was in 1982 that the most famous sighting occurred 18:10 by the National Parks and Wildlife Officer Hans Nodding 18:14 here in the Northwest of the state. 18:16 A sighting which would begin a government-funded search 18:19 and expedition in the area in order to find evidence 18:23 of the animals continued existence 18:25 Because of Netting's professional position and honest reputation 18:30 a two-year-long secret search began in the area 18:33 a distance of over 250 square kilometers were covered. 18:37 But, despite their efforts little to no evidence was found 18:42 during this time further adding to the mystery of the animal 18:47 sited. The area where Nottingham spotted the thylacine 18:51 was an area of wilderness which had been set aside as a 18:55 protection environment in case thylacine' s did still exist 18:59 there. Today it is largely being de-forested and the 19:04 natural habitat where it would have once existed 19:07 is no longer there. And yet still, the sightings continue. 19:12 In 1990 a thylacine was reportedly shot and photographed 19:17 near Adamsfield in remote Tasmania. 19:20 The photos appeared to match the thylacine specimens from 19:24 New Zealand's but the body was not found. 19:27 By this time period, people were less open to the continued 19:32 existence of the thylacine and the reports were quickly hushed 19:36 in the morning papers. There was no doubt however 19:39 that the photos were that of a thylacine. 19:43 Turk Porteous was a northwestern Tasmanian Bushman 19:47 who had who had interacted with thylacines when he was 19:50 young. Where they would follow him and his brother home 19:53 as they walked through the forest in remote Northwestern 19:56 Tasmania. In 1996, the aging bushman came face to face 20:02 with a tiger near the Arthur River within ten kilometers 20:06 of where Nodding had had his siting four years earlier. 20:10 Turks interviewed his genuine nature and his expertise in 20:15 knowledge of this remote area of Tasmania 20:18 was hard evidence that the thylacine did indeed survive 20:23 into the Northwest region of Tasmania at least well into 20:27 the late 90's. Turk was able to see an extra pair of small 20:32 footsteps in the mud as he tracked the female thylacine 20:36 noting that her pouch was carrying some small pups. 20:39 In 2005 a German tourist named Klaus Emmrichs claimed to have 20:45 photographed a live Tasmanian tiger near Derwent Bridge 20:49 in Central Tasmania. 20:51 Sceptics quickly came to criticize the photo as a 20:55 possible forgery and so opinions were mixed on their credibility. 20:59 Emmrichs however remained adamant that his photos were not 21:05 a hoax and that his sightings should be taken very seriously. 21:09 Most recently the Tasmanian Government released a statement 21:13 outlining their eight official sighting's between 2016 and 2019 21:20 in Tasmania. These eight sightings were official 21:24 reports of the animal and there were many other sightings 21:28 from this time period which weren't included. 21:30 So, there you have it. Witnesses and testimonies 21:36 of people who claim to have seen the animal post its 21:40 extinction. Whether the thylacine is extinct or not 21:43 we don't know. But there is one thing that is absolutely certain 21:48 and that is its demise is an absolute tragedy. 21:53 And people everywhere want to believe that there is a chance 21:57 that it could truly still be out there. 22:00 Today, new footage of a thylacine filmed back in 22:05 captivity continues to be found and in 2021 the National Film 22:11 and Sound Archive of Australia released new footage found 22:15 of the thylacine which was captured in 1935. 22:18 This makes it the most recent footage ever captured 22:22 and the 21-second clip showcases the animal prowling around 22:27 It's cage at Beaumaris Zoo. 22:29 You know, it doesn't matter what culture or religion 22:35 you're raised in. Whether you're and atheist, agnostic, 22:38 or Christian. There seems to be this deeper level belief 22:42 inside each and every one of us that protecting and looking after 22:46 our natural environment is very important. 22:49 Today, in the 21st century we're on the brink of the 22:54 largest massive extinction event in our humanity's history. 22:58 One study estimates that as many as 30 to 50% of all species 23:04 could be heading towards extinction by the middle 23:07 of the century. On the 7th of September every year 23:11 millions of people celebrate National Threatened Species 23:14 Day to commemorate the death of the last Tasmanian Tiger 23:18 at Hobart Zoo. National Threatened Species Day is a 23:23 day when we shine the spotlight on all the Australian 23:26 native animal and plant species that are facing similar fates 23:31 to that of the Tasmanian Tiger. 23:33 Did you know that caring for the planet was one of our key 23:37 responsibilities when we were created? 23:40 The Bible states very clearly that looking after our natural 23:44 environment is more than just a nice thought, 23:47 here's what it says in the first book of the Bible Genesis. 24:22 So you see, the first job given to humanity was the work of 24:27 caring for and looking after our natural world 24:30 Caring for God's creation is one of most fundamental things 24:35 we are called to do whether it pollution or deforestation 24:39 overfishing, nuclear disasters or the illegal animal trade. 24:44 We've done a pretty bad job of being good stewards of our world. 24:49 We all know the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger isn't a 24:54 unique situation, we humans seem to continuously destroy 24:59 the animals and environment around us whether it is the Dodo 25:04 or the Rhino, the whales in our ocean, or the fish in our sea 25:08 we've certainly become the masterminds of environmental 25:13 destruction. So, where do we go from here? 25:17 Is there really any hope for the future? 25:20 Well, sure there is. If we work together and seriously 25:25 take the responsibility that God's given us, care and 25:29 well-being of the earth is the responsibility of all of us. 25:34 All religions respect the world around them, 25:37 and offer guidance on environmental issues. 25:40 Christians believe that God made the earth and it belongs to Him. 25:45 The Bible says: 25:52 It's our responsibility to care for the earth and 25:56 all living things in the way that God would wish. 25:59 This is our calling and it is one that is rooted deep within us 26:04 To care for the earth is to care for its future generations 26:08 To care for the earth is to show all-people 26:11 the beauty of God's love. 26:14 If you care about planet earth and would like to know more 26:21 about God's plan for its future then, I'd like to recommend the 26:25 free gift we have for all our viewers today. 26:28 It's the booklet The Fingerprints of God. 26:31 It's our gift to you and is absolutely free. 26:34 I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever. 26:38 So, make the most of this wonderful opportunity 26:42 to receive the free gift we have for you today. 26:45 Phone or text 0436.333.555 in Australia or 020.422.2042 in 26:56 New Zealand or visit our website at TIJ.tv or simply scan 27:02 the QR Code on your screen and we'll send you today's 27:05 free offer totally free of charge and with no obligation. 27:09 Write to us at GPO Box 274 Sydney NSW 2001, Australia 27:16 or PO Box 76673 Manukau, Auckland 2241 New Zealand. Don't delay 27:25 call or text us now. 27:26 If you've enjoyed our visit to Tasmania in search of 27:31 a Tasmanian Tiger and our reflections on the need and 27:34 importance of caring for our planet, then be sure to join us 27:39 again next week when we will share another of 27:42 life's journeys together, until then, let's pray to the 27:46 great creator God who made our world and who cares 27:50 about you and me. 27:52 Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for the wonderful 27:55 world that you have given us to live in and care for. 27:59 It's filled with an abundance of fabulous creatures 28:02 that bring us great joy and pleasure. 28:05 Father, you love this world and everyone in it 28:09 thank you for your promise to care for us 28:12 and guide our lives. Please bless us and our family. 28:16 We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen! |
Revised 2023-11-15