The thylacine remains extinct, but we still have pademelons

There was a bit of excitement yesterday when the news spread that a family of thylasines may have been caught on camera. The thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, became extinct decades ago, so a confirmed observation would certainly be cause for celebration. Unfortunately, natural biologist Nick Mooney of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) reviewed the photos and determined that the animals were probably not thylacines, and probably Tasmanian brands, according to a spokesman.

This is not the first time that a possible thilazine is a pademelon or a mangevos. Although observations of thylacines have been reported, nothing has been confirmed since 1936. According to TMAG, the museum “regularly receives requests to verify from members of the public hoping that the thylacine is still with us.”

As seen in this 1935 video of Benjamin, the last thylazine in captivity, the animals had several distinctive features, including striped buttocks and tight tails. Yet it is not difficult to imagine a hopeful observer seeing thylasins in photographs of other animals.

As we mourn the thylacine again, we can also appreciate the still-living Tasmanian pademelon. The small, woody variegated nocturnal wallabies were once part of the diet of the carnivorous thielacin. They are now dead on the Australian mainland, but are still thriving in Tasmania, and their survival deserves some celebration.

Take a moment to pay attention to the beauty of these (verified) photos and videos of pademelons. Enjoy it!

Photo by Dave Watts / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Photo by Gilles Martin / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images