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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AUBushPilot" data-source="post: 1906042" data-attributes="member: 89150">I'm an American living part of the year in Tasmania and I'm one of several active researchers on the trail of the thylacine. The best work to date was done by an anonymous person going by "Tigerman". Google his ebook "Magnificient Survivor" for a fascinating read.Tigerman claims to have seen two thylacines about 5 yrs. ago. Personally, I lean toward the view his sightings were fabrications, but it's very difficult to say one way or another. He certainly made a tremendous effort. I believe he has now retired from active searching although I'm unsure of this, having never met him and he rarely answers inquiries.A brief synopsis of my search efforts to date are as follows. I am a pilot and have flown over much of Tasmania locating good habitat from the air. Unfortunately, the prime habitat of dry eucalyptus woodland is largely gone now, but there are extensive areas of secondary habitat far away from roads where dozens of thylacines might be extant.At the present, I have some trail cameras set out in good locations although fairly close to forestry roads and will be setting out more cameras in the months ahead. Most of work to date has been familiarizing myself with Tasmania and following up on previous sightings of which there are a few coming in every few years.My opinion is the thylacine probably survived at least until the 1960s if not 1980s. I base that on sightings in this time period, most of which have not been officially reported and are not in the literature. Whether the thylacine survives today is another matter. My best judgement is 50% chance of survival; perhaps somewhat less.Recently, I was in the Hobart museum (in Tasmania) where I had a chance to inspect the thylacine collection. All of the specimens, skulls, skins, and related would easily fit in a walk in closet. Probably all of the specimens worldwide if gathered together would fit in a very small room. Unless there are living thylacines still in Tasmania, and perhaps mainland Australia and even Paupa, we are left with hardly anything of what was once the top level marsupial carnivore from Papua through much of Australia mainland all the way down to Tasmania. A haunting vision, not dissimilar to what happened to the Ivory Bill.By the way, I offered my ultralight piloting services to the Ivory Bill search group some years ago, but they were largely uninterested and the aerial searching that was done was by helicopter. A mistake, IMHO.My work in Tasmania will probably continue for several more years. I have 4 search areas I will be working in and after those are covered I probably will turn my attention to Papua for an expedition there. After this, it will be over. I am currently self funded, but will be seeking funding for a documentary. This is not easy work. It sounds like fun, but trust me, it is expensive and difficult to maintain a sustained effort which is why I have much respect for Tigerman's work (my misgivings about his sightings aside).Cheers,D. AlfordUSA and Launceston, Tasmania</blockquote>

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