Remains Of Last Tasmanian Tiger Found In Cupboard After 85 Years

The last known Tasmanian tiger's remains, which were believed to have been lost for 85 years, were discovered hidden in a museum cupboard in Australia, as per the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

As per the Gallery, the last known thylacine died in the Beaumaris Zoo on the Queen's Domain, Hobart during the night of September 7, 1936.

The remains were thought to have been thrown out when the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery lost sight of them. They were always at the museum, kept but not properly catalogued, according to recent research published by the Gallery. 

Dr Paddle, a comparative psychologist from the Australian Catholic University said, "The thylacine only lived for a few months and, when it died, its body was transferred to TMAG." He continued, "For years, many museum curators and researchers searched for its remains without success, as no thylacine material dating from 1936 had been recorded in the zoological collection, and so it was assumed its body had been discarded."

Furthermore, the psychologist said that it was assumed that its body had been discarded. 

"For years, many museum curators and researchers searched for its remains without success, as no thylacine material dating from 1936 had been recorded in the zoological collection, and so it was assumed its body had been discarded," Dr Paddle continued.

However, he and one of the curators of the museum discovered an unpublished taxidermist's report, which prompted an analysis of the museum's holdings. In a cabinet in the museum's education division, they discovered the missing female specimen, the BBC reported.

"It is bittersweet that the mystery surrounding the remains of the last thylacine has been solved, and that it has been discovered to be part of TMAG's collection," said TMAG director Mary Mulcahy.