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Post by mingle on Jun 24, 2012 17:43:10 GMT 10
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Post by devildog on Jun 25, 2012 9:53:13 GMT 10
Interesting story!
Hard to believe that anyone could sleep through one or more devils chowing down right next to them though..
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Post by youcantry on Jun 25, 2012 13:38:51 GMT 10
Great find  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2012 22:48:15 GMT 10
Before he succumed to a dellibating illness, one of my friends who searched for thylacines throughout Tasmania, used to spend time in this area. I have his bush notes and he described seeing several animals in this area. He notes that even while he was still erecting his tent the word would be going out wiith a chop chop snapping of the jaws. He describes a sighting very fully. and a thylacine would come to his camp each night, sloshing through the creek, exchanging snarls with friends dog then helping itself to dog cubes that he put out for it, then splashing through the creek again, on its departure. He describes the colour as a beautiful shine russet red, with the chocolaty bars. I think the area was badly burned out by bushfires. Regs to all BC  |
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Post by exoldrover on Jun 26, 2012 11:15:30 GMT 10
Fascinating story, no solid reason to say this but I think it's genuine.
What is that in the photograph?
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Post by seth24 on Jun 26, 2012 11:25:07 GMT 10
I remember reading about that encounter bushcat. Was it covered in one paddles, col bailey books. Iam pretty sure it involved a camping encounter with a thylacine near water. Iam sure it is the same story.   ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2012 12:11:11 GMT 10
I have an account of this in his bush notes and personal conversation. I may have written about it sometime in the past. That is the only way this story could have been passed on. This is only one of his recorded encounters with the animal/. He records decoying them in the Table Mountain?? area. but only getting wiffs of the animal as it approached then left unseen. The smell is unmistakable. Bc  |
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Post by cabbageweevil on Jun 26, 2012 22:40:26 GMT 10
Fascinating report -- i.e. the "Farquhar" one from the north-east of Tasmania, with the told-of 1963 / 64 encounter.
Something brought to mind by the words of the prominent wildlife official consulted by the author, about capturing a thylacine being (technically) forbidden by law.
One would take it that this prohibition was concurrent with the thylacine's being granted total protection (far too late) in 1936. Apologies if I come across as obsessed with the 1946 Fleay expedition; but was Fleay then, in his attempts to live-trap a thylacine, breaking the law? Or did he -- and others who mounted unsuccessful expeditions in the late 1930s -- have from the authorities, special permission-to-capture?
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Post by Surroundx on Jun 26, 2012 22:56:34 GMT 10
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Post by cabbageweevil on Jun 27, 2012 1:41:04 GMT 10
I suppose that in 1937: the concept of benign zoo conditions, as much like the animal's natural habitat as possible, with breeding therein encouraged to the max -- was in its infancy, if it existed at all. Difficult not to feel, however, that most of what one hears about the whole history of the thylacine, makes it seem ever more depressing / unlucky / hopeless.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2012 1:44:36 GMT 10
The encounter i am speaking of, when the animal came to the camp to feed on dog cubes took place about 10 or 12 years ago.
When i can get the time to spare i will dig out these old bush notes and refresh my memory. I havent checked then since leaving Parachilna over 8 years ago.
I was sorting out these notes with a book in view, He left school when big enough to set rabbit traps, and had no need for writing until he inherited the farm , then he had to learn to write and spell ina sort of a way. Not only did I have to figure out what the words were, I had to make intelligent sentences. to make the story.
My rough draughts were returned to be edited with intention of making a book, Sadly it never eventuated.
At that time I was very raw with PCs and never had a copier so only one draught was written and no copies
BC
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Post by youcantry on Jun 27, 2012 19:54:58 GMT 10
was Fleay then, in his attempts to live-trap a thylacine, breaking the law? Or did he -- and others who mounted unsuccessful expeditions in the late 1930s -- have from the authorities, special permission-to-capture? He had permission. The photo in the linked article is of a taxidermy in a natural setting. |
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Post by molloch on Jun 27, 2012 20:24:58 GMT 10
The encounter i am speaking of, when the animal came to the camp to feed on dog cubes took place about 10 or 12 years ago. When i can get the time to spare i will dig out these old bush notes and refresh my memory. I havent checked then since leaving Parachilna over 8 years ago. I was sorting out these notes with a book in view, He left school when big enough to set rabbit traps, and had no need for writing until he inherited the farm , then he had to learn to write and spell ina sort of a way. Not only did I have to figure out what the words were, I had to make intelligent sentences. to make the story. My rough draughts were returned to be edited with intention of making a book, Sadly it never eventuated. At that time I was very raw with PCs and never had a copier so only one draught was written and no copies BC Again, conflicting accounts of Thylacines approaching humans for food compared with the highly acute avoidance of people explaining why one has never been captured or photographed. It just doesn't make sense. |
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Post by Surroundx on Jun 27, 2012 21:48:34 GMT 10
Has anybody pondered exactly why thylacines were so shy of humans, especially for a top predator? What evolutionary pressure/s drove the evolution of their instincts? I'm guessing it has something to do with the aborigines and/or the extinct MF. I'm probably way off, but it seems an interesting topic of discussion.
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Post by molloch on Jun 27, 2012 22:11:08 GMT 10
I have been wondering the same thing myself. Maybe they were tasty? I have been to Aboriginal communities where they considered cats to be particularly good eating - I am pretty sure they would be higher on the menu than devil.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2012 8:52:30 GMT 10
It would be more correct to say that the animals are inquiisitive and oppotunist scroungers, besides being persistant hunters. Old reports tell of thylacines ratting bush camps and being especially attracted to bacon. However at the first presence of a human the animal will disappear in a twinkle. In the bush diary that I have it tells of the person driving along a track in NE Tasmania , there was light rain and he saw a thylacinne standing on the track ahead. He stopped and the animal was watching the car. The windscreen was too wet to take a picture through it so he lowered the side window but as soon as his arm came out the animal disappeared in aforesaid twinkle. Our giant cat is the same. I have had examples of the critter virtually evaporating, never saw it go. I can only assume that it crouched down in little cover and ran backwards. I hope this gives a better understanding of the animals we are dealing with, their incredible ability to avoid being seen. BC  |
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Post by seth24 on Jun 28, 2012 10:42:07 GMT 10
The thylacine must have extroadinary senses, as to know when he is about to get his picture taken (camera and human shy) and to quickly disappear in a 'twinkle of an eye'. It seems with a lot of these sightings that people cannot get to the camera or that they are just too overwhelmed and awe struck at seeing one. O they are just too slow to press that damn 'button'. I would think that if you were in renowned tiger habitat that you would be carring a camera at al times. Could it be that the tiger has also learned to avoid the camera's that people are setting up in the bush. Maybe we have too many camera's out there. Continual presence of humans in tiger habitat has made the tiger just that more careful and elusive. ;D
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arca
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Post by arca on Jun 28, 2012 11:11:25 GMT 10
Still, not ONE documented roadkill in 70-80 years? Not one fresh corpse, skull, or hide on the black market? Just a lot of unverifiable sightings, ambiguous footprints, and hearsay. Seems almost like the tiger is really taking on that supernatural quality that has been ascribed to it!
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arca
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Post by arca on Jun 28, 2012 11:15:07 GMT 10
And granted, it's very interesting to read these reports of tigers persisting through the 1950s-60s. But we should already take that as a given! Hans Naarding, a professional biologist and a most credible individual by all accounts, swears to this day that he saw one from 20 feet away in 1982. (And he too had "camera trouble!") So the question is really, what do we make of the sightings from the last 30 years? Which ones are and aren't worth following up on?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2012 11:49:11 GMT 10
So the question is really, what do we make of the sightings from the last 30 years?
That's the question, isn't it? Being logical you'd say the whole legend about live thylacines or big cats or thylacoleo is complete baloney. Accepted that 90+% of "sightings" are foxes, dogs or are psychological. Next question is, what about the other lot, the ones that really do sound credible?
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Post by seth24 on Jun 28, 2012 12:28:02 GMT 10
I think the more emphasis put on whether the tiger does exist through reported sightings especially through the media, you are going to get a certain amount of 'so-called' sightings that are'nt credible (scams). To distingush between a credible sighting and one that is not, will only be one which is of undeniable and positive proof, whether that be in the form of a roadkill or actual video footage. I think pictures, as genuine evidence have "gone out the window", unless the animal is caught in close proximity to the camera. I think the more credible sightings have come from the older sightings, story's as bushcats and documented sightings and experiences from genuine people especially farmers trappers, dogmen and people who have lived and made a living in the rural sector. Mind you i would'nt at all dismiss "recent" sightings. So far this year there has been 3 sightings in the melb metro area.Marybriynong, Mt martha and one in the dandenong ranges. Whether they are legit who knows. ;D
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Post by youcantry on Jun 28, 2012 12:38:25 GMT 10
Still, not ONE ... hide on the black market A very good point. About Aboriginals hunting thylacines - I remember hearing (no reference) that in Tas the thylacine was not hunted. |
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Post by seth24 on Jun 28, 2012 15:58:45 GMT 10
Has any of the quester's have a copy, or have read Rex gilmore's 'Out of the dreamtime'- the search for Australia's unknown animals. Looking at the extract it makes for good reading, with references to the thylacline, ;D in particular some sightings. Attachments:
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arca
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Post by arca on Jun 28, 2012 16:27:37 GMT 10
"At Togari, in north-western Tasmania, in January 1970 a Mr Gates was driving around 1pm in good sunlight, along the Montague River when he was forced to stop, as a Thylacine suddenly appeared on the road ahead of his vehicle. As he sat watching it, the animal quite undisturbed by his presence, continued to slowly walk across the road, crossing over the shallow adjacent river, to disappear on the other side into a heap of logs. Mr Gates noted that the animal moved with a low, squat gait. It was the size of a small dog, he said later, with body stripes clearly visible, and a very stiff tail. He managed to grab his camera which happened to be in the car beside him and snap a picture."
Well this is interesting. Anyone want to track down this Mr. Gates and see what happened to this picture?
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Post by seth24 on Jun 28, 2012 16:50:14 GMT 10
That mr gates account arca was mentioned in the gilmore book. interesting that he managed to "snap" a picture. and i wonder what the result was when picture was developed,or maybe he had a polaroid instamatic. Maybe rex gilmore could shed more light on the sighting. ;D
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Post by Surroundx on Jul 1, 2012 12:37:00 GMT 10
One would take it that this prohibition was concurrent with the thylacine's being granted total protection (far too late) in 1936. Apologies if I come across as obsessed with the 1946 Fleay expedition; but was Fleay then, in his attempts to live-trap a thylacine, breaking the law? Or did he -- and others who mounted unsuccessful expeditions in the late 1930s -- have from the authorities, special permission-to-capture? I found this article, dated 13 August 1945, which states that "Permission to capture a pair of Tasmanian tigers for breeding is likely to be granted to David Fleay, of Victoria, the man who first bred the platypus" trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/62858994?searchTerm=thylacine&searchLimits= |
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Post by youcantry on Jul 1, 2012 20:37:05 GMT 10
Yep. He applied for a zoo curator's job in his 20s and got knocked back for the singular reason he was considered too young. Of course he went on to be the first person to breed the platypus - a feat not repeated for 50 years thereafter, together with about 20 other Australian native species, many of them firsts. He applied to capture thylacines about 10 years earlier but couldn't get funding, and then yes, a world war got in the way too. Pretty frustrating given the passion he seemed to have.
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Post by cabbageweevil on Jul 1, 2012 22:12:22 GMT 10
Surroundx, youcantry -- highly interesting stuff, thanks. I see that the 1945 newspaper piece opines that the species survived then, if at all, in the island's "remote west and south-west" -- seemingly not counting-in, the north-east: long frequented by thylacines, and the location of some post-1936 reported sightings -- e.g. the mid-60s one featured in this thread.
I feel Fleay's lack of luck in this matter, to be quite heartbreaking. I suppose his -- polar opposite -- very-best-possible scenario would have been to capture a male, and a pregnant female, and take them to Healesville. Truly a sporting chance then, for the species to survive, and in time multiply -- even if in captivity only. In the event, all was a situation of "foul luck in every way".
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Post by seth24 on Jul 3, 2012 14:08:25 GMT 10
Found that same image, mingle, of a taxiderm model, but on a postcard.  ;D Attachments:
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Post by seth24 on Jul 3, 2012 14:12:14 GMT 10
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;D
;D