Thylacine remains extinct, but we still have padmelons

There was some excitement on the Internet yesterday when a rumor spread that a thylacine family was potentially caught in front of the camera. Tylacin, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, has been declared extinct decades ago, so the confirmed sighting will certainly be a cause for celebration. Unfortunately, wildlife biologist Nick Mooney of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) reviewed the photos and found that “the animals are very unlikely to be thylacins and most likely Tasmanian pademeloni,” according to a spokesman.

This is not the first time that a possible thylacin has turned out to be a pademelon or larva. Although there have been reports of sightings of thylacine, none have been confirmed since 1

936. According to TMAG, the museum “regularly receives requests for inspection from members of the public who hope that thylacine is still with us.”

As seen in this 1935 Benjamin video, the last thylacine in captivity, the animals had several distinctive features, including stripes and stiff tails. However, it is not difficult to imagine a hopeful observer seeing thylacins in photographs of other animals.

While we complain about thylacine once again, we can appreciate the still-living Tasmanian pademelon. Small nocturnal wallabies with thick fur were once part of the carnivorous thylacine diet. They are now extinct in mainland Australia, but still thrive in Tasmania, and their continued existence deserves some celebration.

Take some time to enjoy the splendor of these (verified) photos and videos of pademelons. Enjoy!

Photo by Dave Watts / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Photo by Gilles Martin / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images