How did the Tasmanian tiger or thylacine become extinct?

Answer 1

The Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus, also known as the Tasmanian Tiger and sometimes the Tasmanian Wolf), became extinct during the 20th century. The last known specimen died in the Hobart Zoo on the 7th of September, 1936.

It was hunted to extinction after a bounty was placed on it as a livestock killer. The government paid one pound for every dead adult thylacine head, and ten shillings for every dead thylacine pup head. Also, wild dogs that settlers brought in competed with the thylacines, reducing the prey of the thylacine.

The thylacine and Tasmanian devil both became extinct in mainland Australia hundreds of years earlier, probably because they were in competition with dingoes once the Aborigines came.

There is disputed evidence that a very small number may yet still exist in the Tasmanian wilderness, but nobody has seen, photographed or trapped one.

A recent attempt was made to clone one, but failed due to the DNA being of insufficient quality.

Further, it has been suggested that, in the early part of the Twentieth Century an extremely virulent disease began to spread first through the wild then captive populations. Exactly what this disease was remains unknown but it was described as being similar to but distinct from canine distemper. Another theory points to the fact that, by the time the Thylacine was confined to the island of Tasmania, the remaining specimens did not have sufficient genetic diversity to sustain the population. A similar problem is currently affecting the Tasmanian devil, resulting in the spread of the fatal DFTD, or Devil Facial Tumour Disease.

Answer 2

The Tasmanian devil is not extinct, but it is threatened by a disease.

From about 1996, the Tasmanian Devil has been threatened by a fatal form of cancer called "Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD)" which has killed more than 90% of adults in high density areas and 45% of adults in medium to low density areas resulting in an "Endangered" classification.

Since then, the Threatened Species Scientific Advisory Committee has recommended moving the Tasmanian Devil up the "Endangered Species" list.

A number of groups have combined to fund, study, analyse and come up with a cure for DFTD.

Note: The Tasmanian Devil should not be confused with the Tasmanian Tiger, more properly known as the Thylacine, which is believed to have been extinct since 1936.

Answer 3

Tasmanian Devils are not extinct (unlike the Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger). However, the Tasmanian Devil has only recently been classified as "endangered". Up until 2008, this marsupial was listed as "vulnerable" - that has now changed.

The Tasmanian Devil used to cover all of Australia but now it is limited to Tasmania. The arrival of the Dingo may have caused their extinction on the mainland, probably because they would have competed for the same food.

The Tasmanian Devil is endangered for a number of reasons, and one of them is because the farmers believed that it ate large numbers of livestock and poultry, and used to hunt it. (This is also why the Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger died out.)

Other reasons include that they are often hit by cars as they feed on other road-killed animals. Some of the Tasmanian devils have been placed in protective captivity so humans and/or other animals cannot kill or hurt them.

Devil Facial Tumour Disease is rife at present and is another reason for keeping them in captivity. DFTD causes facial lesions which increase in size until the Tasmanian devil can no longer eat, and becomes susceptible to infections. At present, no Devils are being taken into captivity with existing captive animals in the hope that the current captive ones will be kept safe from the spread of this disease. The disease spreads through biting - and this is very common in Devils as they are natural fighters, battling tooth and claw for every morsel of food. Only the western third of Tasmania is currently free of the disease. 60% of the state is affected.

Currently there is no cure for the disease, and scientists estimate that unless the disease can be stopped in some way, Tasmanian Devils will be extinct within two decades. The Devils seem to be particularly vulnerable to this because of their genetic makeup: they have particularly low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation which is unique among carnivorous mammals. It is hoped that, by studying this genetic makeup, scientists will be able to develop a vaccine and/or cure.

In January 2010, scientists isolated the genetic marker for the disease, and this is a big step towards finding a cure. Also, scientists have recently reported promising results in cancer cures from a drug manufactured frfom a certain type of brushwood in the North Queensland tropical rainforests. This has worked successfully in trials on cancerous tumours in cats, dogs and horses, and as well as being hoped to be a potential cure in human cancers, it is also hoped to be able to be used against DFTD.

As the Devil numbers decrease, fox numbers are increasing. These introduced animals hunt and eat young Devils, and if the Devil numbers drop too low then there is little hope that the population will ever recover - those remaining will be lost to competition by the foxes.

Note: The Tasmanian Devil should not be confused with the Tasmanian Tiger, more properly known as the Thylacine, which is believed to have been extinct since 1936.

Answer 4

A species of animal does not "start" to go extinct. It remains at the endangered status until a certain amount of time has passed - usually many decades - since the last sighting of a live specimen. Thus, Tasmanian devils have not "started" going extinct.

The Tasmanian Devil was classified as "endangered" in 2008. The Tasmanian Devil used to cover all of Australia but now it is limited to Tasmania. The arrival of the Dingo may have caused their extinction on the mainland, probably because they would have competed for the same food.

The Tasmanian Devil is endangered for a number of reasons, and one of them is because the farmers believed that it ate large numbers of livestock and poultry, and used to hunt it. (This is also why the Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger died out.)

Other reasons include that they are often hit by cars as they feed on other road-killed animals. Some of the Tasmanian devils have been placed in protective captivity so humans and/or other animals cannot kill or hurt them.

Devil Facial Tumour Disease is rife at present and is another reason for keeping them in captivity. DFTD causes facial lesions which increase in size until the Tasmanian devil can no longer eat, and becomes susceptible to infections. DFTD has killed more than 90% of adults in high density areas and 45% of adults in medium to low density areas. At present, no Devils are being taken into captivity with existing captive animals in the hope that the current captive ones will be kept safe from the spread of this disease. The disease spreads through biting - and this is very common in Devils as they are natural fighters, battling tooth and claw for every morsel of food. Only the western third of Tasmania is currently free of the disease. 60% of the state is affected.

Currently there is no cure for the disease, and scientists estimate that unless the disease can be stopped in some way, Tasmanian Devils will be extinct within two decades. The Devils seem to be particularly vulnerable to this because of their genetic makeup: they have particularly low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation which is unique among carnivorous mammals. It is hoped that, by studying this genetic makeup, scientists will be able to develop a vaccine and/or cure.

In January 2010, scientists isolated the genetic marker for the disease, and this is a big step towards finding a cure. Also, scientists have recently reported promising results in cancer cures from a drug manufactured from a certain type of brushwood in the North Queensland tropical rainforests. This has worked successfully in trials on cancerous tumours in cats, dogs and horses, and as well as being hoped to be a potential cure in human cancers, it is also hoped to be able to be used against DFTD. A number of groups have combined to fund, study, analyse and come up with a cure for DFTD.

As the Devil numbers decrease, fox numbers are increasing. These introduced animals hunt and eat young Devils, and if the Devil numbers drop too low then there is little hope that the population will ever recover - those remaining will be destroyed by the foxes.

Answer 5

The Tasmanian devil is not "almost extinct". It has only recently been classified as "endangered" as, prior to 2008, it was listed as "vulnerable".

The Tasmanian Devil used to cover all of Australia but now it is limited to Tasmania. The arrival of the Dingo may have caused their extinction on the mainland, probably because they would have competed for the same food.

The Tasmanian Devil is endangered for a number of reasons. Habitat loss is always a major threat to Australian native animals. A great deal of land-clearing has been carried out in Tasmania since European settlement there.

As well, they are often hit by cars as they feed on other road-killed animals. Some of the Tasmanian devils have been placed in protective captivity so humans and/or other animals cannot kill or hurt them.

Devil Facial Tumour Disease is rife at present and is another reason for keeping them in captivity. DFTD causes facial lesions which increase in size until the Tasmanian devil can no longer eat, and becomes susceptible to infections. At present, no Devils are being taken into captivity with existing captive animals in the hope that the current captive ones will be kept safe from the spread of this disease. The disease spreads through biting - and this is very common in Devils as they are natural fighters, battling tooth and claw for every morsel of food. Only the western third of Tasmania is currently free of the disease. 60% of the state is affected.

Currently there is no cure for the disease, and scientists estimate that unless the disease can be stopped in some way, Tasmanian Devils will be extinct within two decades. The Devils seem to be particularly vulnerable to this because of their genetic makeup: they have particularly low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation which is unique among carnivorous mammals. It is hoped that, by studying this genetic makeup, scientists will be able to develop a vaccine and/or cure.

In January 2010, scientists isolated the genetic marker for the disease, and this is a big step towards finding a cure. Also, scientists have recently reported promising results in cancer cures from a drug manufactured frfom a certain type of brushwood in the North Queensland tropical rainforests. This has worked successfully in trials on cancerous tumours in cats, dogs and horses, and as well as being hoped to be a potential cure in human cancers, it is also hoped to be able to be used against DFTD.

As the Devil numbers decrease, fox numbers are increasing. These introduced animals hunt and eat young Devils, and if the Devil numbers drop too low then there is little hope that the population will ever recover - those remaining will be destroyed by the foxes.

Answer 6

The Tasmanian devil is not extinct, unlike its distant cousin, the Thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger. The Tasmanian devil is classified as "Endangered", but it is unlikely to become extinct, thanks to the success of captive breeding programmes on the mainland.

Answer 7

the Tasmania tiger was hunted to extinction after a bounty was placed on it as a livestock killer.