The Last of the Thylacines

September 7, 1936 - Benjamin, the last of the Thylacines died on this day. Thylacines were one of the largest carnivorous marsupials. A typical Thylacine looked like a medium to large-sized dog, but with stripes on its back. They lived on the Australian mainland and Tasmania, but by the early 1800s they were being hunted to near extinction. In the early 1900s, the Tasmanian government was paying bounties for dead Thylacines as they were blamed for attacks on sheep.

Benjamin was captured in 1933 and wound up in the Hobart Zoo, where it survived for 3 years despite terrible neglect. The naturalist, David Fleay, recorded 62 seconds of black and white movie film showing Benjamin wander about his enclosure. It’s the only motion picture footage of a Thylacine, and it’s worth noting that Fleay was bitten on his buttocks while making the film.

On the day he died, Benjamin had been locked out of his sleeping shelter, leaving him exposed to the extreme Tasmanian weather. It is believed he froze to death.

Though there have been some sightings of Thylacines over the years, no verified proof of any living specimens has been found.