Thylacine.... Yarra Valley?!?

Submitted: Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 00:34
ThreadID: 27646 Views:2976 Replies:10 FollowUps:4
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Saw something run across the road this evening while driving south of Healesville through the Yarra Valley. Had a dead bird in it's gob. About the size of a fox, but the tail was straight out behind it and just covered in body hair, no shaggy tail.

Do young thylacines have stripes or not?
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Reply By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 06:01

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 06:01
mangy fox?
AnswerID: 136876

Follow Up By: Scubaroo - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 08:55

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 08:55
Seen plenty of foxes - used to cull them as a kid. This wasn't a fox.

Didn't have strips but the shape was so striking - I agree a dog is the likely candidate, but given there's been a number of reliable witness sightings not too far away in Warrandyte in recent years, it's nice to think it might have been a young one from a remnant population. It was quite small compared to the stuffed ones I've seen in museums.
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Reply By: Willem - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 07:41

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 07:41
Considering that Thylacines are supposed to have become extinct 30-50 years or more ago, I doubt it. Could have been a feral dog or a fox as suggested.

Then again anything is possible!

Yes, Thylacines had stripes down the sides of their bodies according to legend.

Never know, you may be on to something here.

Cheers
AnswerID: 136881

Reply By: Member - Nick (TAS) - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 09:07

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 09:07
No wonder we carnt find any down here ,there all on the main land!!!
AnswerID: 136890

Reply By: Member - John - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 09:07

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 09:07
I hope it was...........
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AnswerID: 136891

Reply By: The Explorer - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 09:29

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 09:29
Any chance it was a native cat (Quoll) or even a big feral cat? Quoll's have pretty short legs so difficult to confuse with a small dog/fox. Tail is as long or longer than body depending on species.

Thylacines died out on mainland about 2000 years ago...based on tangible evidence...people of course claim to see them every now and them but difficult to believe that any are still around - you would think the ocassional one would get cleaned up by some 4WD's bullbar:)
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Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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AnswerID: 136893

Follow Up By: Scubaroo - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 17:39

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 17:39
Just had a look at quolls - wrong shape, what I saw had a tail that looked quite smooth as if it was covered in short body hair (kind of like a whippet). Given I grew up with a feral catskin as a floor rug (102cm nose to tail!), I can certainly vouch to the fact it wasn't a feral cat ;-) Definitely had something in it's mouth - dead bird, or maybe a young rabbit.

No stripes, but it was nowhere near the size of an adult thylacine, which is why I asked if young thylacines had stripes - all of the images I can find on Google are either adults or joeys in jars. The sighting was enough to make me pull over to the protest of passengers and do a U-turn for a second look, but it was long gone. Car coming the other way almost cleaned it up.

I wouldn't discount the possibility it was one - Wollemi Pines were only known from the fossil record, then they were found growing only a couple of hours from Sydney in 1994!

In all honesty it was most likely some farm mutt, but it was the weirdest looking dog I've ever seen if it was.
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Reply By: glenno(qld) - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 12:32

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 12:32
Isnt there a 1 million dollar reward by someone ?
AnswerID: 136906

Reply By: Sarg - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 14:40

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 14:40
Sure that it wasn't the Bundy Bear????
AnswerID: 136919

Reply By: gramps - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 15:39

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 15:39
Here you go Scubaroo. Definitely stripes on adults.

Thylacine
AnswerID: 136921

Reply By: Steve - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 16:09

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 16:09
Dingo?
AnswerID: 136923

Reply By: Member - Jay Gee (WA) - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 16:14

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 16:14
The last time I saw a thylacine it was being chased by a yeti. I picked up a camcorder to film the whole thing - but then a drop-bear fell on me - I was startled and lost sight of it.
AnswerID: 136925

Follow Up By: Member - Trevor R (QLD) - Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 21:32

Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 21:32
Rolling on the floor, and spewed my bourbon out in laughter. NICE.
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FollowupID: 390699

Follow Up By: Member - Jay Gee (WA) - Sunday, Oct 30, 2005 at 14:25

Sunday, Oct 30, 2005 at 14:25
No worries.
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