Colourised Footage Of Benjamin, The Last Know Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine).

The Last Thylacine: September 7, 1936

Hey everyone! This may be a little late depending on your time zone (as I’m in Los Angeles / PST, I’m behind practically everyone). Sorry about that!

Today, September 7th, 2019, marks the 83rd Anniversary of the death of the last known thylacine in the Hobart Zoo. This animal is pictured above.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the thylacine - and this individual in particular - so I thought I’d make a post to correct a few of these. Keep in mind that new facts and evidence do occasionally come to light, so this is of course subject to change!

MYTH #1: The last thylacine was named Benjamin.

FACT: The name “Benjamin” was allegedly given to the animal by a keeper named Frank Darby. Darby later claimed to have worked with this animal in an interview that took place in 1968. However, no record exists of Darby ever working at the Hobart Zoo, and the zoo curator’s daughter Alison Reid denied that Darby ever worked there.** [Source]

** Note: Although the nickname “Benjamin” was likely made up by Darby after the fact, it has stuck, so many thylacine enthusiasts (including me) still use it to refer to the last individual.

MYTH #2: The last thylacine was actually female.

FACT: Zoologist David Fleay, who took much of the film footage of this individual, stated in a newspaper article and diary entry that the animal was male, referring to it as a “fine male marsupial wolf.” Furthermore, in 2011, careful video analysis by Dr. Stephen Sleightholme (director of the ITSD) confirmed the presence of a scrotal sac, indicating that the last thylacine was indeed a male. [Source, Source]

MYTH #3: “Benjamin” was part of the Mullins family group.

FACT: The Mullins female was snared while her young were still in the pouch. This assertion would assume that “Benjamin” was one of the pups, grew up in captivity, and was the last surviving member of the family. However, in photos (including the one on this post), the snare mark is clearly visible on the animal’s hind leg, indicating that it was wild caught. It is more likely that “Benjamin” was snared by a man named Elias Churchill, though this is also debated. [Source]

MYTH #4: The carcass of “Benjamin” was immediately discarded after death because it was in poor condition.

FACT: The carcass was in fact sent to the Tasmanian Museum. What happened to it after that is unknown. [Source]

Name: Barghest, Barguest

Area of Origin: Northern England

Prevalent in Northern English folklore, the Barghest is a monstrous black dog, with fiery eyes, large teeth and claws, though the name has been known to refer to ghosts or household elves in other regions of the country. The word “Ghost” was pronounced “Guest” in Northern England, and the etymology of Barghest is thought to be the combination word, Burh-ghest or “Town-Ghost”. Similar to other mythical Black Dogs like the Black Shuck, Grim, Padfoot, Gwyllgi and Gytrash, the Barghest is believed to be an omen of death, foretelling the passing of an individual by laying on or near their doorstep. In some tales, the dog is but one form the entity can shapeshift into, with other appearances being that of a headless man or woman, a white cat or a rabbit. They are said to attack lone travelers in the countryside as well as the narrow alleys in those of the old English cities.

The Headline That Started It All

It all started in September of 1958 in a remote logging camp nestled near Bluff Creek, California where loggers were being terrorized by what they called “Bigfoot.” Each morning their camp would be covered in 16 inch tracks, and fruit was stolen from their worksites. The workers felt as if they were being watched at all times from within the forests. The strange occurrences even caused some of the workers to quit their jobs. The logging business in Bluff Creek started to slow due to a lack of workers.

Although the local police department ensured the workers and the townsfolk that it was all just an elaborate prank, the workers insisted that this was all too real. In fact some of the logging veterans had even said they’ve experienced strange activity in the forests for years. The activity in the area slowly escalated until Rey Kerr and Leslie Breazeale saw the creature responsible. In the early morning on their way to work the two loggers spotted a bipedal ape run out in front of their vehicle. They described it as an 8 foot tall creature with long arms, broad shoulders and covered in dark fur. After the creature disappeared into the forest they got out only to see the same sized footprints that had been seen all over the logging site.

On October 15, 1958 the Eureka Humbolt Standard released an article titled “Eyewitnesses See Bigfoot.” The article got a lot of attention and the creature known as Bigfoot gained a lot of popularity. The creature would claim worldwide fame 9 years later when Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin would capture the legendary Bigfoot on film for the first time in the same area.

loch ness monster designs - signs, footprints, research

Lonely Benjamin

The story of the Wolf Woman of Mobile was first published in newspapers on April 8th, 1971. This Alabama monster was reported over 50 times in one week. Witnesses claim that the top half of the creature was that of a human woman, but the bottom half was that of a wolf. Many people described the creature as “pretty and hairy”. Some believe that this creature may have been a werewolf. However, after 10 days of sightings, calls stopped and the creature was never seen again.

Some of the things that Gef the Talking Mongoose had said were written word for word in James Irving’s personal diary. It is thought that Voirrey Irving was behind it all using ventriloquism. 

“I am not evil. I could be if I wanted. You don’t know what damage or harm I could do if I were roused. I could kill you all, but I won’t.” 

“I am a ghost in the form of a weasel, and I shall haunt you with weird noises and clanking chains.” 

“Of course I know what I am, and you are not going to get to know, and you are only grizzled because I won’t tell you. I might let you see me some time, but thou wilt never get to know what I am.” 

“I have three attractions.  I follow Voirrey, Mam gives me food, and Jim answers my questions.” 

“I’ll split the atom! I am the fifth dimension! I am the eighth wonder of the world!” 

“If you are kind to me, I will bring you good luck. If you are not kind, I shall kill all your poultry. I can get them wherever you put them!” 

A newly discovered photograph of a captive thylacine at Beaumaris Zoo c.1913, found in a private collection in the U.K. by thylacine enthusiast Alan Pringle.

The photo was one of three purchased at Salamanca Market in Hobart over 20 years ago. [x]