Is this proof that the Tasmanian Tiger is NOT extinct? Expert claims new footage shows the animal roaming around in Western Australia

  • New footage of a possible Tasmanian Tiger sighting has emerged 
  • Tasmanian Tigers are also known by their scientific name of 'Thylacines'
  • The animal was filmed at a property in Western Australia 
  • Footage will be released at a special public event in Adelaide on Sunday
  • Thylacine expert Neil Waters is optimistic by the vision

By CAMERON PHELPS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: | Updated:

The Tasmanian Tiger was declared extinct by the State Government in 1986 but new footage has emerged that has excited hunters of animal.

Thylacine Awareness Group Of Australia founder Neil Waters said he was optimistic about the footage and was planning on releasing two three-second clips at a special public event in Adelaide on Sunday.

The footage was captured by trail cameras on a property in Nannup in Western Australia which has a strong history of Thylacine sightings.

The property is so synonymous with Tasmanian Tigers that the owner's father wrote a book on the iconic Australian animal.

New footage of what experts believe to be a Tasmanian Tiger has emerged  and will be unveiled at a special public event in Adelaide on Sunday.

New footage of what experts believe to be a Tasmanian Tiger has emerged  and will be unveiled at a special public event in Adelaide on Sunday.

The never-released, night-time footage shows what could be a Tasmanian Tiger wandering along a trail and Mr Waters told the Daily Mail Australia the animal moved exactly like a Thylacine.

'The animal has a very peculiar gait, the way it walks is quite weird,' Mr Waters said.

'In one of the clips you can clearly see stripes down the side.'

The last captive Thylacine - the scientific name for the Tasmania Tiger - died at Hobart Zoo in 1936.

Tasmanian Tigers on the mainland of Australia are thought to have become extinct more than 2,000 years ago but Mr Waters hopes his research can help prove that the animals still roam the country.

Mr Waters has in his possession more than 500 sighting of Thylacines in South Australia alone and said the last sighting he received was on Thursday morning.

 Only four specimens of the brains of Tasmanian tigers exist and the study gained access to two of them, which were around 100 years old

Tasmanian Tigers on the mainland of Australia are thought to have become extinct over 2000 years ago but Mr Waters hopes that his research can help prove they still roam the country

 The last known thylacine died in Hobart Zoo in 1936. Loss of habitat through farming activity, coupled with a bounty scheme placed on the animal after it was suspected of killing sheep and other livestock, have been implicated in its extinction

Mr Waters has in his possession over 500 sighting of Thylacines in South Australia alone and said that the last sighting that he received was on Thursday morning

'Benjamin' the last captive Thylacine died at Hobart Zoo in 1936

'Benjamin' the last captive Thylacine died at Hobart Zoo in 1936

'There are thousands of sighting a year that go uninvestigated, these sightings have been ignored on a national scale,' Mr Waters said.

Mr Waters interest in the animal was sparked six years ago when he stumbled upon a a possible Thylacine while out walking his dog in Tasmania.

And four years later he said he had another brush with the animal, again in Tasmania.

Since then he has devoted much of his time trying to keep people interested in the animal and hopes to one day prove that the Tasmanian Tiger is not extinct. 

'I have come across a lot of doubters and negative people who say "why are no carcasses of Thylacine's showing up" but I believe they are very much like the wombat and return to their dens to die,' Mr Waters said. 

The proceeds of the public event which will feature the viewing of the clip will be used to help fund Mr Waters continued research into the animal and Mr Waters said that interest levels were high.

'We have already sold 40 of the 120 available tickets and will have special presenters and an auction of Thylacine artwork on the night.'

Tickets are $8 each and are available through trybooking.com.  

Most watched News videos

Comments 56

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.