Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus)

[Ngala]

'All of a sudden I have these sets of red eyes looking at me': Man claims he encountered a FAMILY of Tasmanian tigers while camping in far north Queensland
By KATE DARVALL and CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 03:59 BST, 18 March 2017 | UPDATED: 02:52 BST, 28 March 2017

• Extinct Tasmanian Tiger reportedly sighted in far north Queensland's Cape York
• A Queensland tourism operator claims to have seen a family of Tasmanian Tigers
  

• 'Now these animals, I've never seen anything like them before in my life,' he said
• The Queensland man is one of hundreds who claim to have sighted the animal
  

It has been extinct since the early 1930s but one man claims he has sighted a family of Tasmanian tigers roaming in far north Queensland.
Queensland tourism operator Brian Hobbs claims the Tasmanian Tiger is not extinct at all after he reportedly saw the animal in Queensland's remote Cape York.
Mr Hobbs revealed his unlikely encounter with the Tasmanian Tiger - officially known as the thylacine - while camping in the far north Queensland town n 1983. 

The Tasmanian Tiger (pictured) has been extinct since the early 1930s but people swear they have sighted the animal in years since 

*This image is copyright of its original author

'I was walking around the camp towards this ravine area… and all of a sudden I have these sets of red eyes looking at me,' he told the ABC on Friday.
Mr Hobbs said the red eyes belonged to a family of Tasmanian Tigers - a male, female and two young pups.
'Now these animals, I've never seen anything like them before in my life. They're dog shaped and in the spotlight I can see they're tan in colour and have the stripes on their side,' he said.
'I was thinking to myself "now what in heavens have I seen?" I'd never seen anything like them before, ever.'

Mr Hobbs said the red eyes belonged to a family of Tasmanian Tigers, a male, female and two young pups (stock) 

*This image is copyright of its original author

Mr Hobbs claims to have spotted the animal while camping in Queensland's Cape York (pictured) 

*This image is copyright of its original author

Mr Hobbs told the ABC he came within 20 metres of the animals who made no noise and no sign of aggression.
He said the curious but cautious animals paid him a visit once more that night, peering into his camp site before wandering back off into the bush.
Now 34 years later, Mr Hobbs said he never forgot the moment he 'saw' the elusive Tasmanian Tiger.
The reported sighting comes two months after a trail camera reportedly captured the Tasmanian Tiger on the other side of the country in Perth. 

While the last known thylacine died in Hobart Zoo in 1936, hundreds of people claim to have seen it 

*This image is copyright of its original author

The Thylacine Awareness Group claims to have captured the animal on camera on the outskirts of Perth in January.
Members of Victorian Wildlife Research/ Rescue said they left a camera on a bush trail for three weeks in 2014 before returning to collect the tape.
After going through hundreds of hours of footage, the team discovered a few grainy seconds of a large dog-like animals moving through the undergrowth.
The footage was widely circulated online, garnering huge attention in November last year.

The Tasmanian Tiger

• The thylacine looked like a large, long dog with stripes and a long stiff tail.
• Often shy and secluded the thylacine became extinct after the introduction of European settlers
  

• The last known thylacine died in Hobart Zoo in 1936
• Despite hundreds of reported sightings no conclusive evidence has been provided that the Tasmanian Tiger is alive 
  

Amateur investigators from Victorian Wildlife Research/Rescue suggest this footage shows a Tasmanian Tiger, thought to have gone extinct in 1936

*This image is copyright of its original author

[In the link there is the footage]

While an animal was clearly captured on the footage, its legitimacy was questioned.
It was not the first time wildlife watchers claimed to have captured a thylacine on camera.
In September, residents in the Adelaide Hills claimed to have captured a thylacine rooting around some bins in blurry footage.
For a split second an auburn-coloured creature can be seen slipping between fence posts around a set of houses.

Claims of another Tasmanian Tiger sighting surfaced in September, this time in Adelaide Hills, after this amateur footage was posted online

*This image is copyright of its original author

While the animal could easily have been a fox, the appearance of the thinner and stubbier tail attracted attention.
Several groups carrying out amateur research into the thylacine pointed to the clip being genuine, though more prominent researchers cast doubt on the claims.
Catherine Kemper, a researcher from the South Australian Museum, told ABC she thought it was extremely unlikely.
She said every photo or video claiming to show the animal was poor quality, and thought it strange no good quality photos or video had emerged.

James Cook University research professor Bill Laurance has not ruled out the possibility the Tasmanian Tiger (pictured) still existed 

*This image is copyright of its original author

Other researchers did not rule out the possibility the animal was still around, albeit elusive.
James Cook University research professor Bill Laurance told the ABC people should 'never say never'.
He said he was open to the possibility of their continued existence because 'every time we think we know everything it turns around and bites us on the backside'. Reply