With the Bulletin of Sydney, Australia, already offering $1.25 million (Australian) dollars for the discovery of a living Tasmanian Tiger, a Tasmanian businessman has now offered $1.75 million for proof an animal presumed extinct for 70 years. This is a real deal and it appears a lot of people are taking the hunt seriously. The only problem is that I don’t think we have the resources to head off to Tasmania so soon after Mongolia.
The Bulletin article : Is the Tasmanian tiger really extinct?
We know the myth is out there. But what about the truth? Over the past 70 years more than 4000 alleged sightings of the believed-to-be-extinct Tasmanian tiger have been reported.
Yet not one solid shred of evidence – not a bone, a hair, much less a body – has ever been put forward to prove that the thylacine is the greatest escape artist in the animal kingdom.
If the tiger has somehow managed to cling to survival, proving its existence would be one of the greatest scientific stories of the century. A live thylacine would have many profound implications, including forcing a rethinking of our understanding about how endangered species can survive.
So in this, our 125th year of publication, The Bulletin is prepared to help solve one of Australia’s most enduring mysteries. We’re offering a total reward of $1.25m for conclusive proof of the tiger’’s existence in the Tasmanian wild.
And there’s only one way to settle it. Our terms and conditions are strict and unbending. A live, uninjured animal must be produced. All government regulations and provisions must be adhered to.
A panel of eminent experts chosen by us will have the final say – along with conclusive DNA testing.
The reward is open until June 30. It’s a pretty safe bet that if a tiger is not found by then, we’ll know the truth is just a myth.
Garry Linnell
Editor-in-Chief
The Bulletin
Related Links:
Spotting the thylacine Bulletin
Eye on the tiger Bulletin
Hunting Tasmania’s ‘tiger’ BBC
Dog doubts over tiger BBC
Thylacine Tales Morning Herald
The Thylacine Cloning Project
