The story of the Thylacine, better known as the Tasmanian Tiger, is one of the most heartbreaking in modern natural history. This remarkable creature was not a tiger, wolf, or even a dog—it was a marsupial, the largest carnivorous one of its era, carrying its young in a pouch just like a kangaroo. Its most striking feature was its jaw, which could open an astounding 120 degrees, along with the distinctive stripes on its lower back.
Native to Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea, this shy, nocturnal predator was relentlessly hunted by European settlers during the 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by misguided bounties that blamed it for livestock losses. The last known Thylacine, named “Benjamin,” died in captivity at the Hobart Zoo in 1936—a death that went largely unnoticed and officially marked the species’ extinction.
Its loss is a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the consequences of our actions. Even today, unconfirmed sightings keep alive a flicker of hope and a deep sense of longing for what we have lost. The Thylacine’s ghost continues to haunt us, serving as a symbol of extinction and a call to protect the unique species that remain.