Extinction happened here,
the death of the last individual
00:00:24.29\00:00:29.02
of an entire species.
00:00:29.06\00:00:30.69
Yes, the completed disappearance
of the species from the planet
00:00:30.73\00:00:34.63
earth happened right here.
00:00:34.66\00:00:36.46
Extinct, dead, and gone forever.
00:00:36.50\00:00:40.44
This is where Benjamin died
on Monday the 7th of September
00:00:40.47\00:00:44.91
1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo
in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
00:00:44.94\00:00:50.05
Benjamin was the nickname given
to the last Tasmanian Tiger
00:00:50.08\00:00:54.78
alive anywhere in the
world and when he died
00:00:54.82\00:00:58.82
the entire species
died out. Or did it?
00:00:58.85\00:01:04.29
In 1982 a national park and
Wildlife Officer Hunts Nodding
00:01:07.40\00:01:13.37
had gone to sleep in the back
of his vehicle here in a remote
00:01:13.40\00:01:17.64
forested area in
Northwest of Tasmania.
00:01:17.67\00:01:21.11
It was raining heavily, at
two a.m. a noise startled him.
00:01:21.14\00:01:25.55
and out of habit, he scanned
the surrounds with a spotlight
00:01:25.58\00:01:29.85
As he swept the beam around
it came to rest on a large
00:01:29.88\00:01:33.96
thylacine standing side-on
some 6 to 7 meters distance.
00:01:33.99\00:01:39.16
His camera bag was
out of immediate reach,
00:01:39.19\00:01:41.46
so he decided to examine the
animal carefully before risking
00:01:41.50\00:01:46.10
movement. It was an adult
male in excellent condition
00:01:46.13\00:01:50.24
with 12 black
stripes on a sandy coat.
00:01:50.27\00:01:53.91
It moved only once opening
its jaws and showing its teeth.
00:01:53.94\00:01:58.58
After several minutes of
observation he attempted to
00:01:58.61\00:02:02.62
reach for his camera bag,
but in doing so he disturbed the
00:02:02.65\00:02:06.02
animal and it moved
away into the undergrowth.
00:02:06.05\00:02:08.92
Leaving the vehicle and
moving to where the animal had
00:02:08.96\00:02:12.69
disappeared, he noticed a
strong scent which was typical
00:02:12.73\00:02:17.60
with previous records
and sightings of the animal.
00:02:17.63\00:02:20.84
Netting's sighting
started a secret two-year-long
00:02:20.87\00:02:24.97
government-funded tiger
hunt for the retrieval of alive
00:02:25.01\00:02:29.71
thylacine, an animal which
only four years later would be
00:02:29.74\00:02:34.38
listed as extinct and largely
due to the impact of European
00:02:34.42\00:02:39.25
settlement on the island.
00:02:39.29\00:02:40.72
But what did Nodding
actually see that night?
00:02:40.76\00:02:45.23
Could it really have
been a Tasmanian tiger?
00:02:45.26\00:02:48.30
The mysterious animal
which had last been seen almost
00:02:48.33\00:02:52.23
50 years earlier. The
rarest animal in all the world?
00:02:52.27\00:02:56.54
An animal which had been
the Crown Jewel in Tasmania's
00:02:56.57\00:03:00.58
untouched biological ecosystem?
Well, join me on a journey
00:03:00.61\00:03:06.45
as we explore some of the remote
areas of Tasmania in search
00:03:06.48\00:03:11.32
of this rare animal
and examine the events that
00:03:11.35\00:03:15.12
led to its tragic demise.
00:03:15.16\00:03:17.29
When people think of Tasmania,
they often think of a small
00:03:34.64\00:03:39.21
island south of the mainland
Australia with very few people
00:03:39.25\00:03:43.22
and very few animals. But
they couldn't be more wrong.
00:03:43.25\00:03:47.36
Tasmania like the
majority of mainland Australia
00:03:47.39\00:03:51.49
has vast regions of bush and
terrain which has hardly been
00:03:51.53\00:03:55.86
explored or seen by man.
It's home to epic waterfalls
00:03:55.90\00:04:00.24
majestic mountains and
deep impenetrable forests.
00:04:00.27\00:04:04.54
Even to this day over
half of Tasmania's landscape
00:04:04.57\00:04:09.18
remains largely undisturbed
by European colonization.
00:04:09.21\00:04:13.05
with over one-third of
its land area, national parks.
00:04:13.08\00:04:17.55
Tasmania is truly a breath-
taking wonder of the natural
00:04:17.59\00:04:22.86
world. In 1642 the
Dutch explorer Abel Tasman
00:04:22.89\00:04:29.13
first discovered the island of
Tasmania on his journey eastward
00:04:29.16\00:04:33.60
towards New Zealand. The
island would remain undisturbed
00:04:33.64\00:04:37.47
for the next century or
so until European Explorers
00:04:37.51\00:04:40.98
began mapping the island
and the British eventually
00:04:41.01\00:04:44.18
colonized it. Over a
century later in 1792 the French
00:04:44.21\00:04:50.09
explorer Jack la Baudier
was the first European to even
00:04:50.12\00:04:54.79
encounter a thylacine.
While exploring the island
00:04:54.82\00:04:58.63
he came across a dead strap
marsupial which he described
00:04:58.66\00:05:02.93
as a dog-like animal.
00:05:02.96\00:05:04.50
It was not until 1808
however that the first detailed
00:05:04.53\00:05:09.27
scientific description was made
by Tasmanian's Deputy Survey
00:05:09.30\00:05:14.28
General George Harrison
five years later after the first
00:05:14.31\00:05:17.51
settlement of the island.
Harris originally placed the
00:05:17.55\00:05:20.82
thylacine in the genus didelphis
the family of American opossums
00:05:20.85\00:05:25.89
and marsupials describing
it as a dog-headed opossum.
00:05:25.92\00:05:29.92
But it wouldn't be until 1810
that the thylacine along with
00:05:29.96\00:05:35.40
the majority of Australian
mammals would be put into a
00:05:35.43\00:05:38.80
separate order of classifi-
cation, a marsupial class
00:05:38.83\00:05:42.97
specific to Australian wildlife.
The thylacine resembled a
00:05:43.00\00:05:48.44
large short-haired dog
with a stiff tail that extended
00:05:48.48\00:05:52.08
from the body in a similar
way of that of a kangaroo.
00:05:52.11\00:05:55.58
A full-grown thylacine ranged
from 165- 210 cm in length
00:05:55.62\00:06:03.29
from nose to tail. and stood
about 60 cm at the shoulders
00:06:03.32\00:06:08.06
and weighing up to
about 30 kilograms.
00:06:08.10\00:06:11.10
Its most notable feature
was its striped markings which
00:06:11.13\00:06:15.34
ran along the center of
its back to the top of the tail
00:06:15.37\00:06:18.31
which earns its nickname, tiger.
00:06:18.34\00:06:21.14
As a marsupial both male and
female had a backwards facing
00:06:21.18\00:06:25.85
pouch where its young would
grow for upward to three months
00:06:25.88\00:06:29.55
before being old enough to leave
its home and to begin learning
00:06:29.58\00:06:34.02
to hunt. Another unique feature
of the thylacine was its amazing
00:06:34.06\00:06:38.99
ability to open its jaws up
to 80 degrees, perfectly adapted
00:06:39.03\00:06:44.17
for hunting kangaroo
and wallaby on the island.
00:06:44.20\00:06:47.50
The Tasmanian Tiger was also
known to have amazing smell,
00:06:47.54\00:06:52.87
being able to track its
prey from kilometers away.
00:06:52.91\00:06:56.08
It is without a doubt the
Tasmanian Tigers resemblance
00:06:56.11\00:07:00.68
to a household dog, "man's best
friend," that certainly has led
00:07:00.72\00:07:05.35
to a nostalgia and
a disappointment from
00:07:05.39\00:07:08.52
wildlife lovers
of its tragic demise.
00:07:08.56\00:07:11.53
Unlike the extinction of the
Barbarian Lion or the Caspian
00:07:11.56\00:07:15.70
Tiger, the Thylacine stood alone
as the final Apex Marsupial
00:07:15.73\00:07:21.00
within the Thylacine' s family
its survival largely due to
00:07:21.04\00:07:26.37
it's location on an
island which has been isolated
00:07:26.41\00:07:29.64
from the harm of
European colonization.
00:07:29.68\00:07:32.88
Today, I'm standing in the
North - west area of Tasmania
00:07:32.91\00:07:38.99
known as the Tarkine Forest
to see the last possible area
00:07:39.02\00:07:44.16
where there is a slight chance a
remnant population of Thylacine
00:07:44.19\00:07:48.26
s could still exist.
00:07:48.30\00:07:50.13
But let's learn more about
how the Tasmanian Tiger came to
00:07:50.17\00:07:55.00
earn its extinct status, an
icon for modern day extinction.
00:07:55.04\00:07:59.31
and is there really any
possibility that it still has
00:07:59.34\00:08:04.25
survived to this day.
Well, even when Europeans
00:08:04.28\00:08:08.42
first started to colonize
Tasmania thylacine sightings
00:08:08.45\00:08:13.15
were rare and
isolated to more rural areas.
00:08:13.19\00:08:16.52
This was because of the animal's
nocturnal nature and its ability
00:08:16.56\00:08:21.16
to smell people from far
away avoiding them at all costs.
00:08:21.20\00:08:26.13
Despite its elusive
nature however Tasmanian Tigers
00:08:26.17\00:08:30.94
were common on the island and
at little risk of extinction.
00:08:30.97\00:08:34.61
The indigenous Australians
lived in perfect harmony
00:08:34.64\00:08:38.38
with the Tasmanian Flora
and Forna but as Europeans
00:08:38.41\00:08:43.18
began to settle the good
grazing areas for their farms,
00:08:43.22\00:08:46.45
the habitats of the thylacine
s were taken over and so too
00:08:46.49\00:08:51.69
their hunting grounds.
Sheep became a new food source
00:08:51.73\00:08:55.33
for the thylacine and because
of the changes in its habitat
00:08:55.36\00:08:59.43
the animal developed a
reputation for attacking and
00:08:59.47\00:09:03.71
eating sheep.
00:09:03.74\00:09:05.07
This famous quote about the
thylacine by John Gulden 1863
00:09:05.11\00:09:09.98
predicted the tiger's demise.
00:09:10.01\00:09:51.59
Doctor Eric Gyler, Australia's
leading thylacine researcher
00:09:51.62\00:09:56.59
estimated that the total
thylacine population at the time
00:09:56.62\00:10:00.86
of British settlement in 1883
was between only 2,000 to 4,000
00:10:00.90\00:10:06.33
individuals. The destruction
of sheep by alleged thylacine' s
00:10:06.37\00:10:11.41
led to the establishment of
bounty schemes in an attempt
00:10:11.44\00:10:15.64
to control their numbers.
The Vandeemans Land Company
00:10:15.68\00:10:19.18
introduced bounties on the
thylacine from as early as 1830
00:10:19.21\00:10:23.35
and between 1888 and
1909 the Tasmanian Government
00:10:23.39\00:10:28.69
paid one pound per head, the
equivalent of 100 pounds or more
00:10:28.72\00:10:33.36
today for dead at all thylacine
s and 10 shillings for pups.
00:10:33.40\00:10:38.07
In all, they paid out 2,184
bounties but it is thought that
00:10:38.10\00:10:44.94
many more thylacines
were killed than claimed for.
00:10:44.97\00:10:48.21
Its extinction is popularly
attributed these relentless
00:10:48.24\00:10:53.52
efforts by farmers and bounty
hunters in actively hunting
00:10:53.55\00:10:57.62
and killing the animal.
00:10:57.65\00:10:59.09
By the turn of the 20th
century thylacine sightings were
00:10:59.12\00:11:04.16
extremely rare and the animal
was believed to be completely
00:11:04.19\00:11:07.96
extinct on the East Coast
and area where it had once
00:11:08.00\00:11:11.93
prospered. Despite this decline
in numbers the Tasmanian public
00:11:11.97\00:11:17.17
still actively hunted the
thylacine almost securing its
00:11:17.21\00:11:21.11
inevitable extinction. By the
1920s the amount of thylacine
00:11:21.14\00:11:26.82
sightings had dropped
significantly to the point where
00:11:26.85\00:11:30.09
only bushmen and trappers
would see an occasional dead one
00:11:30.12\00:11:33.72
in one of their snares.
00:11:33.76\00:11:35.09
The time was ticking for
the animals continued survival
00:11:35.12\00:11:39.16
there was little pity for its
quick demise and it was indeed
00:11:39.19\00:11:43.13
aim of the new colonizers
to completely eradicate
00:11:43.16\00:11:46.77
the animal from existence.
Sadly, it was a task that had
00:11:46.80\00:11:51.51
also already completed
with the native Tasmanian Emu
00:11:51.54\00:11:55.58
that was also hunted
to extinction in 1865.
00:11:55.61\00:12:00.05
And so it was the last known
thylacine to be shot in the wild
00:12:00.08\00:12:08.12
was done so in 1930 by
Wilf Batty a farmer from Obama.
00:12:08.16\00:12:13.70
He had hoped to capture the
animal alive but he shot and
00:12:13.73\00:12:18.43
fatally wounded the large
male specimen there's a photo
00:12:18.47\00:12:23.17
which proudly shows
Batty with his prize.
00:12:23.20\00:12:26.27
But it wouldn't be
until three years later in1933
00:12:26.31\00:12:32.78
that the last known thylacine
also referred to as Benjamin
00:12:32.81\00:12:37.09
was trapped by Elias Churchill
and sent to the Hobart Zoo
00:12:37.12\00:12:41.42
where it would live
for the next three years.
00:12:41.46\00:12:44.49
Churchill was a renowned
trapper having trapped at least
00:12:44.53\00:12:48.13
eight tigers during his
life, in later interviews
00:12:48.16\00:12:51.83
he was adamant that the
thylacine was still alive
00:12:51.87\00:12:55.37
and strong in the remote
areas of the Florentine Valley
00:12:55.40\00:12:59.67
Up until 2022, the last
known footage of a thylacine
00:12:59.71\00:13:04.61
was captured by the naturalizes
David Flay and the images
00:13:04.65\00:13:09.25
are truly haunting.
00:13:09.28\00:13:11.29
During the filming of the animal
Benjamin took a bite at Flag
00:13:11.32\00:13:15.92
and he has this scar on
his bottom which would remain
00:13:15.96\00:13:19.39
for the rest of his life.
It would not be the last time
00:13:19.43\00:13:23.80
that Flay would
encounter a thylacine, however.
00:13:23.83\00:13:27.67
On the 7th of September,
1936 a zookeeper here at Hobart
00:13:27.70\00:13:33.38
Beaumaris Zoo walked into the
thylacine cage to find Benjamin
00:13:33.61\00:13:38.31
locked outside of his
den, he had died from the
00:13:38.35\00:13:41.85
cold weather, neglect, and lack
of care. Such were the times
00:13:41.88\00:13:46.69
of the height of
the Great Depression.
00:13:46.72\00:13:48.82
According to one account
of the incident upon finding
00:13:48.86\00:13:52.49
the corpse of the last known
thylacine, the keeper ended up
00:13:52.53\00:13:56.56
throwing it into a nearby
bin. This would be the last time
00:13:56.60\00:14:01.04
anyone would ever see
a thylacine in captivity.
00:14:01.07\00:14:04.47
It was only 59 days earlier
that official protection of
00:14:04.51\00:14:09.34
the species was introduced
by the Tasmanian Government
00:14:09.38\00:14:13.05
but too late to
save it from extinction.
00:14:13.08\00:14:17.02
Benjamin's death here at
the zoo would barely make the
00:14:17.05\00:14:20.72
morning paper and the
zoo already went about making
00:14:20.76\00:14:24.33
plans to find another
specimen to replace him,
00:14:24.36\00:14:27.50
A task that they were
offering to pay handsomely for
00:14:27.53\00:14:30.77
but they would
never find a replacement.
00:14:30.80\00:14:34.90
And despite the death of
Benjamin, the public opinion
00:14:34.94\00:14:38.81
remained that the thylacine
was still alive and vibrant in
00:14:38.84\00:14:42.98
the wilderness. An opinion
which would perpetuate for
00:14:43.01\00:14:47.08
decades to come.
00:14:47.12\00:14:48.65
And so, the searches
began with most people reluctant
00:14:48.68\00:14:54.26
to declare Benjamin as
the last official thylacine,
00:14:54.29\00:14:57.53
expeditions began to the remote
areas of the west coast and
00:14:57.56\00:15:02.10
Central Highlands in hope
of capturing or photographing
00:15:02.13\00:15:06.74
a specimen.
00:15:06.77\00:15:08.10
And since that fatefully
1936 extinction date over 3,000
00:15:08.14\00:15:13.54
sightings have been
reported by locals and bushmen
00:15:13.58\00:15:17.11
throughout the
Tasmanian wilderness.
00:15:17.15\00:15:19.35
In 1937 Harry Pierce, a farmer
claimed to have seen a thylacine
00:15:19.38\00:15:26.49
near Mt. Hobhouse observing
the tracks of many others
00:15:26.52\00:15:30.63
in the snow. When told of
the news of its extinction
00:15:30.66\00:15:34.80
he was surprised claiming
there were many still around.
00:15:34.83\00:15:39.57
In 1946 David Flay himself went
on a search in the Tasmanian
00:15:39.60\00:15:45.77
Wilderness to find two
specimens for breeding purposes.
00:15:45.81\00:15:49.54
On his month-long expedition
exploring the Jane River
00:15:49.58\00:15:53.78
he managed to snare a thylacine
but the snare he was using
00:15:53.82\00:15:58.35
had extra padding so as not
to injure or damage the animal
00:15:58.39\00:16:02.86
which allowed it to
escape leaving behind a tuft
00:16:02.89\00:16:06.33
of its hair. This tuft of
hair upon later examination
00:16:06.36\00:16:10.57
was positively identified
to be that of a thylacine.
00:16:10.60\00:16:14.97
This was certain evidence
that the thylacine still existed
00:16:15.00\00:16:20.84
at least until 1946. In
1953 Burr Mayer a 28-year-old
00:16:20.88\00:16:27.88
rabbit trapper claimed to
have captured a Tasmanian tiger
00:16:27.92\00:16:32.02
in a snare that he
had set for a wild dog,
00:16:32.05\00:16:34.46
when police authorities turned
up they confiscated the corpse
00:16:34.49\00:16:38.93
and it was never
to be seen again.
00:16:38.96\00:16:41.16
Mayer was adamant that
the animal he had captured
00:16:41.20\00:16:45.50
that night was without
a doubt a Tasmanian tiger.
00:16:45.53\00:16:49.34
In 1957 a photograph was taken
from a helicopter flying over
00:16:49.37\00:16:55.41
the west of the island which
the pilot claimed was definitely
00:16:55.44\00:16:59.68
a thylacine. An expedition
was at once mounted in order to
00:16:59.71\00:17:04.69
capture a specimen
which would be released again
00:17:04.72\00:17:07.52
after it'd been studied.
00:17:07.56\00:17:09.29
But despite the best
efforts of a Disney Film Crew
00:17:09.32\00:17:13.09
and an expedition led by
Sir Edmond Hillary in the 1960's
00:17:13.13\00:17:17.67
no specimen was ever found.
00:17:17.70\00:17:20.37
In the 1960's a woman
claimed that she and her family
00:17:20.40\00:17:25.57
had seen a group of thylacine'
s eating lobster scraps
00:17:25.61\00:17:28.81
in the remote fishing village
of Temma on the northwest coast.
00:17:28.84\00:17:32.61
Like many others from that
era they thylacine was viewed
00:17:32.65\00:17:37.22
as just another animal
and she observed them amongst
00:17:37.25\00:17:40.49
Tasmanian Devils as well.
In 1980, a woman in her own
00:17:40.52\00:17:45.53
garden found herself
face to face with a thylacine
00:17:45.56\00:17:49.00
standing on a chicken coop,
she would describe the event
00:17:49.03\00:18:04.95
But it was in 1982 that the
most famous sighting occurred
00:18:04.98\00:18:10.05
by the National Parks and
Wildlife Officer Hans Nodding
00:18:10.09\00:18:14.06
here in the
Northwest of the state.
00:18:14.09\00:18:16.02
A sighting which would
begin a government-funded search
00:18:16.06\00:18:19.59
and expedition in the
area in order to find evidence
00:18:19.63\00:18:23.37
of the animals
continued existence
00:18:23.40\00:18:25.80
Because of Netting's
professional position and honest
00:18:25.83\00:18:30.04
reputation a two-year-long
secret search began in the area
00:18:30.07\00:18:33.48
a distance of over 250
square kilometers were covered.
00:18:33.51\00:18:37.81
But, despite their efforts
little to no evidence was found
00:18:37.85\00:18:42.35
during this time further adding
to the mystery of the animal
00:18:42.38\00:18:47.02
sited. The area where
Nottingham spotted the thylacine
00:18:47.06\00:18:51.49
was an area of wilderness
which had been set aside as a
00:18:51.53\00:18:55.80
protection environment in case
thylacine' s did still exist
00:18:55.83\00:18:59.77
there. Today it is largely
being de-forested and the
00:18:59.80\00:19:04.54
natural habitat where
it would have once existed
00:19:04.57\00:19:07.28
is no longer there. And yet
still, the sightings continue.
00:19:07.31\00:19:12.08
In 1990 a thylacine was
reportedly shot and photographed
00:19:12.11\00:19:17.62
near Adamsfield
in remote Tasmania.
00:19:17.65\00:19:20.32
The photos appeared to match
the thylacine specimens from
00:19:20.36\00:19:24.56
New Zealand's but
the body was not found.
00:19:24.59\00:19:27.13
By this time period, people
were less open to the continued
00:19:27.16\00:19:32.07
existence of the thylacine and
the reports were quickly hushed
00:19:32.10\00:19:36.04
in the morning papers.
There was no doubt however
00:19:36.07\00:19:39.17
that the photos
were that of a thylacine.
00:19:39.21\00:19:43.14
Turk Porteous was a
northwestern Tasmanian Bushman
00:19:43.18\00:19:47.45
who had who had interacted
with thylacines when he was
00:19:47.48\00:19:50.32
young. Where they would
follow him and his brother home
00:19:50.35\00:19:53.52
as they walked through the
forest in remote Northwestern
00:19:53.56\00:19:56.66
Tasmania. In 1996, the
aging bushman came face to face
00:19:56.69\00:20:02.23
with a tiger near the Arthur
River within ten kilometers
00:20:02.26\00:20:06.43
of where Nodding had had
his siting four years earlier.
00:20:06.47\00:20:10.51
Turks interviewed his genuine
nature and his expertise in
00:20:10.54\00:20:15.64
knowledge of this
remote area of Tasmania
00:20:15.68\00:20:18.55
was hard evidence that the
thylacine did indeed survive
00:20:18.58\00:20:23.75
into the Northwest region
of Tasmania at least well into
00:20:23.79\00:20:27.89
the late 90's. Turk was able
to see an extra pair of small
00:20:27.92\00:20:32.39
footsteps in the mud as he
tracked the female thylacine
00:20:32.43\00:20:35.96
noting that her pouch
was carrying some small pups.
00:20:36.00\00:20:39.70
In 2005 a German tourist named
Klaus Emmrichs claimed to have
00:20:39.73\00:20:45.71
photographed a live Tasmanian
tiger near Derwent Bridge
00:20:45.74\00:20:49.71
in Central Tasmania.
00:20:49.74\00:20:51.11
Sceptics quickly came
to criticize the photo as a
00:20:51.15\00:20:55.15
possible forgery and so opinions
were mixed on their credibility.
00:20:55.18\00:20:59.69
Emmrichs however remained
adamant that his photos were not
00:20:59.72\00:21:05.09
a hoax and that his sightings
should be taken very seriously.
00:21:05.13\00:21:08.96
Most recently the Tasmanian
Government released a statement
00:21:09.00\00:21:13.44
outlining their eight official
sighting's between 2016 and 2019
00:21:13.47\00:21:20.34
in Tasmania. These
eight sightings were official
00:21:20.38\00:21:24.85
reports of the animal and
there were many other sightings
00:21:24.88\00:21:28.25
from this time period
which weren't included.
00:21:28.28\00:21:30.89
So, there you have it.
Witnesses and testimonies
00:21:30.92\00:21:36.22
of people who claim to
have seen the animal post its
00:21:36.26\00:21:39.96
extinction. Whether the
thylacine is extinct or not
00:21:40.00\00:21:43.77
we don't know. But there is one
thing that is absolutely certain
00:21:43.80\00:21:48.50
and that is its demise
is an absolute tragedy.
00:21:48.54\00:21:53.64
And people everywhere want to
believe that there is a chance
00:21:53.68\00:21:57.65
that it could
truly still be out there.
00:21:57.68\00:22:00.92
Today, new footage of a
thylacine filmed back in
00:22:00.95\00:22:05.25
captivity continues to be found
and in 2021 the National Film
00:22:05.29\00:22:11.06
and Sound Archive of Australia
released new footage found
00:22:11.09\00:22:15.10
of the thylacine
which was captured in 1935.
00:22:15.13\00:22:18.43
This makes it the most
recent footage ever captured
00:22:18.47\00:22:22.17
and the 21-second clip showcases
the animal prowling around
00:22:22.20\00:22:27.41
It's cage at Beaumaris Zoo.
00:22:27.44\00:22:29.84
You know, it doesn't
matter what culture or religion
00:22:29.88\00:22:35.62
you're raised in. Whether
you're and atheist, agnostic,
00:22:35.65\00:22:38.75
or Christian. There seems
to be this deeper level belief
00:22:38.79\00:22:42.46
inside each and every one of
us that protecting and looking
00:22:42.49\00:22:46.43
after our natural
environment is very important.
00:22:46.46\00:22:49.66
Today, in the 21st century
we're on the brink of the
00:22:49.70\00:22:54.60
largest massive extinction
event in our humanity's history.
00:22:54.64\00:22:58.57
One study estimates that as
many as 30 to 50% of all species
00:22:58.61\00:23:04.41
could be heading
towards extinction by the middle
00:23:04.45\00:23:07.28
of the century. On the
7th of September every year
00:23:07.32\00:23:11.25
millions of people celebrate
National Threatened Species
00:23:11.29\00:23:14.32
Day to commemorate the death
of the last Tasmanian Tiger
00:23:14.36\00:23:18.69
at Hobart Zoo. National
Threatened Species Day is a
00:23:18.73\00:23:23.30
day when we shine the
spotlight on all the Australian
00:23:23.33\00:23:26.63
native animal and plant species
that are facing similar fates
00:23:26.67\00:23:31.11
to that of the Tasmanian Tiger.
00:23:31.14\00:23:33.34
Did you know that caring for
the planet was one of our key
00:23:33.38\00:23:37.61
responsibilities
when we were created?
00:23:37.65\00:23:40.15
The Bible states very clearly
that looking after our natural
00:23:40.18\00:23:44.55
environment is more
than just a nice thought,
00:23:44.59\00:23:47.49
here's what it says in the
first book of the Bible Genesis.
00:23:47.52\00:23:52.06
So you see, the first job given
to humanity was the work of
00:24:22.69\00:24:27.70
caring for and looking
after our natural world
00:24:27.73\00:24:30.53
Caring for God's creation is
one of most fundamental things
00:24:30.57\00:24:35.47
we are called to do whether
it pollution or deforestation
00:24:35.50\00:24:39.94
overfishing, nuclear disasters
or the illegal animal trade.
00:24:39.97\00:24:44.28
We've done a pretty bad job
of being good stewards of our
00:24:44.31\00:24:49.08
world. We all know the
extinction of the Tasmanian
00:24:49.12\00:24:54.39
Tiger isn't a unique situation,
we humans seem to continuously
00:24:54.42\00:24:59.63
destroy the animals and
environment around us whether it
00:24:59.66\00:25:04.23
is the Dodo or the Rhino, the
whales in our ocean, or the fish
00:25:04.27\00:25:08.84
in our sea we've certainly
become the masterminds of
00:25:08.87\00:25:13.51
environmental destruction.
So, where do we go from here?
00:25:13.54\00:25:17.25
Is there really any
hope for the future?
00:25:17.28\00:25:20.58
Well, sure there is. If we
work together and seriously
00:25:20.62\00:25:25.45
take the responsibility
that God's given us, care and
00:25:25.49\00:25:29.92
well-being of the earth is
the responsibility of all of us.
00:25:29.96\00:25:34.43
All religions respect
the world around them,
00:25:34.46\00:25:37.70
and offer guidance
on environmental issues.
00:25:37.73\00:25:40.70
Christians believe that God made
the earth and it belongs to Him.
00:25:40.74\00:25:45.21
The Bible says:
00:25:45.24\00:25:52.81
It's our responsibility
to care for the earth and
00:25:52.85\00:25:56.58
all living things in
the way that God would wish.
00:25:56.62\00:25:59.49
This is our calling and it is
one that is rooted deep within
00:25:59.52\00:26:04.13
us To care for the earth is to
care for its future generations
00:26:04.16\00:26:08.60
To care for the
earth is to show all-people
00:26:08.63\00:26:11.73
the beauty of God's love.
00:26:11.77\00:26:14.37
If you care about planet earth
and would like to know more
00:26:14.40\00:26:20.98
about God's plan for its future
then, I'd like to recommend the
00:26:21.01\00:26:25.21
free gift we have for
all our viewers today.
00:26:25.25\00:26:28.15
It's the booklet
The Fingerprints of God.
00:26:28.18\00:26:31.89
It's our gift to you
and is absolutely free.
00:26:31.92\00:26:34.92
I guarantee there are no
costs or obligations whatsoever.
00:26:34.96\00:26:38.53
So, make the most of
this wonderful opportunity
00:26:38.56\00:26:42.00
to receive the free
gift we have for you today.
00:26:42.03\00:26:45.70
Phone or text 0436.333.555
in Australia or 020.422.2042 in
00:26:45.73\00:26:56.61
New Zealand or visit our
website at TIJ.tv or simply scan
00:26:56.64\00:27:02.42
the QR Code on your screen
and we'll send you today's
00:27:02.45\00:27:05.82
free offer totally free of
charge and with no obligation.
00:27:05.85\00:27:09.66
Write to us at GPO Box
274 Sydney NSW 2001, Australia
00:27:09.69\00:27:16.73
or PO Box 76673 Manukau,
Auckland 2241 New Zealand. Don't
00:27:16.77\00:27:25.07
delay call or text us now.
00:27:25.11\00:27:26.54
If you've enjoyed our
visit to Tasmania in search of
00:27:26.57\00:27:30.98
a Tasmanian Tiger and our
reflections on the need and
00:27:31.01\00:27:34.72
importance of caring for our
planet, then be sure to join us
00:27:34.75\00:27:39.29
again next week when
we will share another of
00:27:39.32\00:27:42.39
life's journeys together,
until then, let's pray to the
00:27:42.42\00:27:46.29
great creator God who
made our world and who cares
00:27:46.33\00:27:50.60
about you and me.
00:27:50.63\00:27:51.97
Dear Heavenly Father, We
thank you for the wonderful
00:27:52.00\00:27:55.94
world that you have given
us to live in and care for.
00:27:55.97\00:27:59.21
It's filled with an
abundance of fabulous creatures
00:27:59.24\00:28:02.78
that bring us
great joy and pleasure.
00:28:02.81\00:28:05.48
Father, you love this
world and everyone in it
00:28:05.51\00:28:09.68
thank you for your
promise to care for us
00:28:09.72\00:28:12.52
and guide our lives.
Please bless us and our family.
00:28:12.55\00:28:16.49
We ask this in
Jesus' name. Amen!
00:28:16.52\00:28:20.90