Thylacine with three cubs, Hobart Zoo, 1909

The thylacine was the world’s largest marsupial carnivore. It looked like a medium-sized dog, with yellowish-brown fur and a stiff tail. Female thylacines had a pouch for carrying their young.

The thylacine was declared a protected species in July 1936, shortly before the last animal died in Tasmania’s Beaumaris Zoo on 7 September 1936. Occasional, unconfirmed sightings are still reported.