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The riddle continues .........

Tiger riddle grows

By Danny Rose

February 28, 2005

MYSTERIOUS photographs at the centre of the latest Tasmanian tiger sightings contain a thylacine, experts agree.

Two senior Tasmanian figures who were asked to inspect the photographs last week agree - the blurry and partially obscured animal shown is unmistakably a thylacine.
The photographs included the distinctive stripes Tasmanian tigers were renowned for, the pair said yesterday.

It now comes down to whether the images, snapped by a digital camera, can be proven to be authentic.

The senior figures are Department of Primary Industries Nature Conservation Branch wildlife biologist Nick Mooney and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery director Bill Bleathman.

They viewed the two photographs at the request of a Victorian man last week.

Mr Mooney has investigated hundreds of thylacine sightings.

It is claimed the pictures were taken by the Victorian man's brother, described only as a tourist from Germany, who was bushwalking in remote wilderness near Lake St Clair during recent weeks.

"I had an extensive look at the pictures," Mr Mooney said.

"It is clearly more likely a thylacine than any other animal, but the authenticity of the picture does pose some issues."

The photographs were not copied before they were taken back to Victoria.

But Mr Mooney and Mr Bleathman gave a detailed account of the images yesterday as they said an investigation would continue.

The pictures were described as:

"Out of focus" or motion-blurred, attributed to possible excitement at the discovery.

Showing an animal disappearing into bush about 20m away from the photographer.

The animal was mostly obscured except for part of its back, which appeared to show a Tasmanian tiger's distinctive stripes.

Parts of the head and tail were partially visible through the bushes.
"They showed the back of a thylacine but its head, hindquarters and tail were not clearly visible," Mr Bleathman said.

"We are always interested in these sightings because we have the world's experts on thylacines here, and we investigate all sightings to the best of our ability.

"We looked at the photographs and determined it was inconclusive. I'm not saying it's a hoax."

He said the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery received up to 10 thylacine sightings a year, but the latest was "the first one claiming to have a colour picture".

It is a harder task to authenticate a digital picture, which can be easily manipulated using computer programs, than an image snapped by a conventional camera.

It is understood the images are in the possession of Melbourne newspaper The Age, but they had not been published yesterday.

Tasmanian tigers are generally considered to have become extinct in the wild about 1933, when the last wild thylacine was caught in the Florentine Valley.

The last known Tasmanian tiger died in Hobart's former zoo in 1936.

Mr Mooney said yesterday it was possible the species could have remained undiscovered, living in small pockets in Tasmania's most remote wilderness, as it was resilient to in-breeding.

"It is possible but I think it is against the odds ... I'm open-minded," he said.

Premier Paul Lennon said more study of the images was needed.

"Obviously if their sighting can be authenticated then it would be great news for Tasmania," Mr Lennon said.

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