1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 Holy, this is crazy. 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,000 That looks like a Tasmanian tiger. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,000 You've seen it. 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,000 I ever dozed in the Donaof. 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,000 This place feels like another planet. 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,000 I hear something rustling. 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,000 Wait, I just saw an eye up there. 8 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,000 There's definitely something living in there. 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Oh, look at that. We got a cave down here. 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000 Look at this. Holy, that is a print. 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:54,000 Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, Shupacabra, all cryptids, animals frequently seen but not yet proven to exist. 12 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,000 Sightings are often the same. 13 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,000 Someone catches a fleeting glimpse or snaps a blurry photo. 14 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,000 But what if we knew the creature in question actually existed? 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Or at least did exist? 16 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 Meet the Phylusine, or Tasmanian tiger. 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:20,000 Once the apex predator of all of Australia, this carnivore was feared for its sharp fangs and terrifyingly wide jaws. 18 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:25,000 It was brutally hunted to the brink of oblivion by European colonists. 19 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:30,000 The last of its kind died on the island of Tasmania in 1936, 20 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:35,000 snuffing out a species that had survived for 26 million years. 21 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000 But something strange is happening in Tasmania. 22 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:45,000 Eyewitnesses are coming forward, adamant that the Tasmanian tiger continues to live on in the wild. 23 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,000 A team of scientists are now chasing the latest in a string of sightings. 24 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:57,000 And recently, shocking video has emerged from the Australian mainland that may drastically alter the search area for the creature. 25 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Is the Tasmanian tiger still out there? I intend to find out. 26 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:10,000 So get ready for a hunting expedition to the land down under in search of what just might be a living legend. 27 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,000 My name is Josh Gates. 28 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,000 Look at that! 29 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,000 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration. 30 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,000 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 31 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,000 This is horrible. This is officially horrible. 32 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:37,000 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 33 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,000 We're good to try. Let's go. 34 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 35 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:53,000 The sixth largest country in the world, Australia is known for its beer, its beaches, and its bizarre menagerie of marsupials. 36 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:02,000 And the allegedly extinct thylacine, aka the Tasmanian tiger, was one of the most unique. 37 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:09,000 I begin my expedition 150 miles down under of Down Under in Australia's island state of Tasmania. 38 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:19,000 It's not only the namesake of our subject, but its capital city of Hobart was also home to the very last confirmed living Tasmanian tiger. 39 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,000 Hobart's one of those great cities that's really managed to reinvent itself. 40 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,000 At the turn of the 19th century, this place started as a prison colony. 41 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:33,000 And for much of its history, it's been an industrial port filled with wailing vessels and ships moving produce and wool back to the mainland. 42 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:40,000 Today, the harbor is still active, but most of the colonial era warehouses have been converted over into pubs and galleries and funky stores, 43 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:45,000 turning a town built by convicts into a chic little city at the bottom of the world. 44 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:53,000 Throughout Hobart, there are endless reminders of the hometown hero, the Tasmanian tiger, as well as other local wildlife. 45 00:03:53,000 --> 00:04:05,000 The Tasmanian tiger, the koala, the wombat, obviously, the Tasmanian devil, all the classics here. 46 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,000 That's a platypus though, right? 47 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,000 Yep. 48 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,000 Nailed it. 49 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:18,000 I take a stroll over to the nearby Tasmanian museum and art gallery, where you can get up close and personal with a much more life-like stuffed phylocine. 50 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:27,000 With a head like a wolf, stripes like a tiger, and an inverted pouch like a wombat, the phylocine looks like nothing else. 51 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:34,000 It thrives in Australia for millions of years, until Asian seafarers introduced dingos to the continent 4,000 years ago. 52 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:40,000 With competition for food and habitat, the phylocine dies out on the mainland 2,000 years later. 53 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,000 But it endures on the island of Tasmania. 54 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:52,000 That is, until the arrival of European settlers in the early 19th century, who valued their sheep over a predatory native species. 55 00:04:52,000 --> 00:05:03,000 You know, seeing a display like this is a kind of amazing reality check, because there's so much rumor and legend surrounding the story of the phylocine that it's easy to forget that it's a real animal. 56 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:11,000 We tend to think of species extinction as something that happened in the distant past, but here it is, in the flesh, from less than 100 years ago. 57 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:24,000 To eradicate the phylocine population, the Tasmanian government offers a bounty for each head, and even rebrands the reclusive animal to sound more deadly. 58 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:34,000 The new name, Tasmanian Tiger, conjures up fear, making people feel comfortable with exterminating thousands of phylocines to the brink of extinction. 59 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:42,000 And not far from the museum, I explore the ruins of one of the most important locations in the history of the Tasmanian Tiger. 60 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Now, little more than an abandoned and overgrown field, this spot on the edge of town was home to the most famous phylocine of all time. 61 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,000 This is the Bomari Zoo, or what little is left of it. 62 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Walking around here today, it's hard to believe that this place was once home to polar bears and lions. 63 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:09,000 And in just about this very spot, 80 years ago this week, in September of 1936, the very last known Tasmanian Tiger died in captivity. 64 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:18,000 His name was Benjamin. He was accidentally locked into the outer part of his enclosure on a very cold night, and he succumbed to the elements. 65 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:26,000 All that's left of him today is a very ghostly piece of film footage, what may be the very last images of an entire species. 66 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,000 Unless, of course, there's more of them out there. 67 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,000 While the phylocine status as an extinct species is hotly debated, 68 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:41,000 what's not up for debate is that it still has several living relatives here in Australia. 69 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:46,000 I'm hoping that observing their habits might help me hunt for the Tasmanian Tiger. 70 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:48,000 Greg. 71 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,000 Josh, how are you, mate? 72 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,000 I'm good, how you doing? 73 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:51,000 Welcome to our little sanctuary. 74 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:52,000 Thanks for having me. 75 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,000 Greg Irons is the owner of the Bonnarong Wildlife Sanctuary located just outside of Hobart. 76 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:05,000 He's a leading marsupial expert that is working tirelessly to keep other endangered animals from meeting the same fate as the phylocine. 77 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Straight into some wombats? 78 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,000 Oh my God, look at this thing. 79 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,000 It is the most adorable animal I've ever seen. 80 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,000 Not as adorable as when you jump and you don't have a plier, you king? 81 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,000 Are we allowed to go over? 82 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,000 Absolutely. 83 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:24,000 I climb into the habitat, make myself comfortable, and meet a furry diva named Mariah. 84 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,000 Hello. 85 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,000 Boy, you got some claws on it too. 86 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:30,000 Yeah, they're excellent burrows. 87 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,000 They'll dig out burrows that are about 20 metres long and 2 metres deep. 88 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,000 Right in the business. 89 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:36,000 Okay. 90 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,000 We charge extra for that. 91 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:38,000 Yeah. 92 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,000 Let's all just cool out down there. 93 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,000 Let's get this wombat out from under my junk. 94 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:51,000 Australia's geographic isolation means it's home to all sorts of bizarre and unique species. 95 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:56,000 We all know the kangaroo and the koala, but Greg wants me to meet Tasmanias and Looney Tunes, 96 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,000 most infamous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil. 97 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,000 You're going to hand fade one? 98 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:05,000 Uh, sure. 99 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:08,000 Oh. 100 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,000 Okay, so we've got some wallaby there. 101 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:11,000 You're vegetarian? 102 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,000 I am now. 103 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,000 Okay, so I'm... 104 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:14,000 Okay, what's the move here? 105 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,000 To all control your arm, you just make sure you give me some flicks. 106 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,000 What's about to happen here, Greg? 107 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,000 Oh, they're strong. 108 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,000 I, uh, don't want them coming, so I just lift a little. 109 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,000 I quickly realise why Greg is guiding my hand. 110 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,000 One slip and it could be chewed off. 111 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:41,000 Nearby, I get a peek at the Eastern Quall, the closest living relative to the Phylocene, 112 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,000 though decidedly more adorable. 113 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,000 The Eastern Quall has just been listed as endangered in Tasmania, 114 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,000 so if we're not careful, it could go the way of its cousin, the Phylocene. 115 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,000 The takeaway here is simple. 116 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,000 The Phylocene's relatives are wild and highly reclusive, 117 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:03,000 which means finding a living Tassie tiger is going to be difficult and potentially dangerous. 118 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,000 And what do you make of all the accounts that somebody's seen, uh, Tasmanian tigers? 119 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,000 You think it's possible? 120 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,000 I hope so. I desperately hope so. 121 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:11,000 Yeah. 122 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,000 You know, you never say never. 123 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:20,000 By the light of a new day, I drive three hours northeast to the outskirts of the city of Launceston. 124 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,000 It's not only where European settlers spotted their first Phylocene, 125 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,000 it's a hotbed of much more recent sightings. 126 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:33,000 So the search for the truth about the Tasmanian tiger has everything to do with eyewitness encounters. 127 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:37,000 And one of the stories comes from a guy named Andrew Orchard. 128 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,000 He's a dairy farmer in the northeast part of the island. 129 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,000 He's got about 500 acres of pristine wilderness that backs up against his farm. 130 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:49,000 And if his stories are to be believed, that wilderness may be home to a Tasmanian tiger. 131 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,000 How you doing? 132 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:54,000 How you going, Josh? 133 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,000 I'm good, mate. 134 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,000 Nice to meet you. 135 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,000 Same to you. 136 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,000 You want to know a bit about tigers, they tell me. 137 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,000 That's why I'm here. I hear you're the guy in the know. 138 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:02,000 I'm the man. 139 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:03,000 You've seen one. 140 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,000 I think I'm the only person in the world that has found a family group 141 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,000 and been able to study it for 30 or more years. 142 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:10,000 You've seen one? 143 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,000 Seen plenty. I've seen over a dozen that I don't know of. 144 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,000 When was your most recent sighting? 145 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,000 March. This year? 146 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,000 March. 147 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,000 Walked on one? 148 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,000 Oh, we could hear him yapping in the bush. 149 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,000 And do you have any physical evidence? 150 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,000 Have you been able to collect any specimens, any photos, anything? 151 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,000 I have. Actually, I'll show you a couple of things. 152 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,000 Yeah? 153 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,000 That's a little female. 154 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,000 Hold on. 155 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,000 She's built like a little pig. 156 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,000 Holy, look at that. 157 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:49,000 I'm in northeast Tasmania, where there have been numerous recent sightings of the Tasmanian tiger, 158 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,000 an animal that supposedly went extinct 80 years ago. 159 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Locals like Andrew Orchard claim to have spotted the creature right here in the remote back country. 160 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,000 Holy, look at that. 161 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,000 That looks like a Tasmanian tiger. 162 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,000 I mean, look at the stripes on it. 163 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,000 Yeah. The big solid tail on it. 164 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:08,000 And the ear. 165 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:09,000 Yeah. 166 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,000 Then you've got one, he's running away from you. 167 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:13,000 See the big fat feet on it? 168 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:14,000 Yeah. 169 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,000 I measure that sag, that's knee high. 170 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,000 All right, I'm getting intrigued here now. 171 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:25,000 This one here, the stripes and the facial marks just blend into all the canopy around it. 172 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:26,000 This is crazy. 173 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:27,000 These are so big. 174 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:32,000 I've seen a lot of evidence, more than most people, but they're still not definitive. 175 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,000 So what would you say to a skeptic? 176 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:38,000 What would you say to a hardened skeptic who says there's no way that this thing is actually out here? 177 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,000 I say spend a day with me and I'll prove you wrong. 178 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,000 Can you prove it to me? 179 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:44,000 I can take you out there. 180 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,000 I'll show you where I found a layer with some cubs in it. 181 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,000 Really? 182 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,000 Yeah. 183 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,000 All right, I'm all yours. Let's go. 184 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,000 Andrew's confidence means one of two things. 185 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:54,000 He's a very good man. 186 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,000 Andrew's confidence means one of two things. 187 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:02,000 He's either completely nuts or he actually has a phylicine family living on his property. 188 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,000 And since I'm following him deep into the Tasmanian bush, 189 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,000 I'm really hoping for the latter. 190 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:13,000 One of the photographs I showed you, he was on the track there, I had a camera on a tree. 191 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,000 So we're in the zone? 192 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,000 We're in the zone. 193 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,000 So I'm going to have to make you smell like the bush. 194 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:18,000 Oh boy. 195 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Otherwise he will smell us long before we get there. 196 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:21,000 What does that involve? 197 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,000 Eucalyptus oil. 198 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,000 We use eucalyptus oil. 199 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:27,000 Uh-huh. 200 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,000 And we cover our bodies with it. 201 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:31,000 Just throw this on? 202 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:32,000 Throw that on. 203 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Right on. 204 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,000 Cover all your deodorants, soaps, shampoos. 205 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,000 Lucky for you, Andrew, I don't bathe that much. 206 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,000 I'll let you in on a little secret. 207 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:43,000 Here on Expedition Unknown, showers are few and far between. 208 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:45,000 It's strong. 209 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,000 A little honey ears. 210 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,000 Huh? 211 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,000 Look at the ladies. 212 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,000 Okay, I smell like a Turkish bath. Let's go. 213 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,000 Eucalyptus tree now. Let's go. 214 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,000 Let's do it. 215 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,000 Smelling like koala food, we forge ahead. 216 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Looking for a den or a cave, or a thylacine would make its home. 217 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,000 How much are trailing here? 218 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,000 Suddenly, Andrew signals that we're in the right area, 219 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,000 and he silently closes in on a particular spot. 220 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,000 It's a real big hole. 221 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,000 Looks like she's been living in here again. 222 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:29,000 It's freshly used. 223 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Freshly used. 224 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,000 You can see under the bottom there, there's a hole dug underneath. 225 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,000 You can see where she lays in here. 226 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,000 That's amazing. 227 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,000 If we go over the other side of the log, there's a bigger hole. 228 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,000 This den goes through, you think? 229 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,000 It goes through to the other side. 230 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000 The cubs were actually on the other side when I found them. 231 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:46,000 Let's take a look. 232 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,000 Wow. 233 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,000 The hole goes straight under the log. 234 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,000 This is where the cubs were down in there. 235 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,000 Incredible. 236 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,000 And you can see we've been freshly used. 237 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,000 There's definitely something we've been living in there. 238 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,000 Wow. 239 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:02,000 Andrew and I examine the den for any signs of droppings or hair fibers, 240 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,000 but it's completely clean. 241 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,000 Do you think that she's going to come back and use this again? 242 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,000 I hope she will, yes. 243 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,000 If not, she'll have only moved somewhere up in the scrub, not far away. 244 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:11,000 Right. 245 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,000 I was going to ask Andrew to come back and use this again. 246 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,000 Somewhere up in the scrub, not far away. 247 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:16,000 Right. 248 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,000 I was going to ask you before we came out here why you think it's been so hard 249 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,000 for people to find these, but I think I got all my answers on the walk up here. 250 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,000 I mean, it's just like walking through just dense brush. 251 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:25,000 It is. 252 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,000 How do you see an animal that's only knee high in ferns that are this high? 253 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:30,000 Exactly. 254 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,000 It's easy to see how something like that could stay off the radar here. 255 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,000 Oh, I'd have to hear you coming long before you get to it. 256 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,000 Right. 257 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:37,000 I'd be gone. 258 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:42,000 But we should have a look around the den and see if we can find any physical evidence of one being about. 259 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,000 Let's look around. 260 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:49,000 Phylicenes are crepuscular, which is a fancy word meaning they come out around twilight. 261 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:54,000 So if there are any of them out here, this is the perfect time to spot one. 262 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,000 These are really good sized scat. 263 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,000 Oh, look at that. 264 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,000 Got no bones in it. 265 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,000 It's definitely not a devil. 266 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,000 Right. 267 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,000 It's too big for a quail. 268 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,000 Only these one thing that could be, a tiger. 269 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,000 You think it's tiger? 270 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,000 I do. 271 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:09,000 Let's get a sample. 272 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:12,000 We can take it back for analysis. 273 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,000 Rather than pick it up, would you like to use my knife? 274 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,000 That's not a knife. 275 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,000 That's a knife. 276 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000 I've been waiting days to say that. 277 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,000 I'm sorry. 278 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,000 Take note, kids. 279 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,000 You think you want to be a travel channel host. 280 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:29,000 And then you find yourself playing with poop. 281 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:37,000 With a promising sample bagged and tagged, we'll be sending this to a lab to determine if this is the calling card of a tiger roaming Andrew's property. 282 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:45,000 The next day, I'm back on the road and back on the hunt. 283 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:53,000 Pushing west, I enter what's known as Tasmanian Tiger Country, the region of the island home to the most modern sightings of the creature. 284 00:15:53,000 --> 00:16:01,000 There's even a Tassie Tiger Bar filled with news articles of sightings and colorful representations of the legendary beast. 285 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,000 Have you seen it? 286 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,000 The Wifas. 287 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:04,000 The Wifas? 288 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,000 The look on the face when she came home, she looked like she'd seen a ghost. 289 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,000 And you think it's still out there? 290 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:09,000 Yeah, it's still out there. 291 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,000 Cheers. 292 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:11,000 Cheers to the tiger. 293 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:22,000 So my next stop is to meet with a group called the Phylocene Research Unit. 294 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:32,000 This is a trio of researchers who are combining old school tracking skills, a knowledge of biology, and some really high tech equipment to try to solve the Phylocene mystery. 295 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,000 And I'm meeting them at the site of some of the most recent eyewitness accounts. 296 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,000 Chris. 297 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,000 Hey man, how are you going? 298 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,000 Good, how are you doing? 299 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,000 You must be Josh. 300 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:43,000 Yeah, nice to meet you man. 301 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:44,000 The tune's up here in this clearing. 302 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,000 Okay. 303 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,000 So I'll jump in and I can probably lead you in. 304 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,000 Awesome, let's do it. 305 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,000 Cool. 306 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,000 Straight on? 307 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,000 Straight on man. 308 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,000 The muddy is all get out of here. 309 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,000 We have to get a lot money man. 310 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,000 It's a lot deeper through here. 311 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,000 You're not kidding. 312 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000 This looks like Tasmanian Tiger Country now. 313 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,000 It's a perfect tap-a-tat. 314 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,000 It wouldn't be better. 315 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,000 Man, there have been real sightings here recently. 316 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,000 Yeah, some historic ones and then right up to this year. 317 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:12,000 Great, awesome. 318 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,000 So this is the spot. 319 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,000 Oh yeah, oh yeah. 320 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:35,880 Our muddy drive leads us to the TRU Base Camp where the rest of the team is waiting, looking 321 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:37,880 like the Tasmanian ZZ Top. 322 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:38,880 How's it going? 323 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:39,880 Good. 324 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:40,880 Josh, this is Bill. 325 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:41,880 Hey Bill, nice to meet you. 326 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:42,880 And this is Warren. 327 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,880 Hey Warren, nice to meet you as well. 328 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:50,880 A wildlife biologist, a tech expert and an experienced bushman, the TRU team brings a skeptical 329 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,880 and conservation-minded approach to their phylicine research. 330 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:56,880 Why band together and undertake the search? 331 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:57,880 Why do you think it's important? 332 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,880 We are directly responsible for the extinction of this animal. 333 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:07,880 And so if there is a remnant population, we need to find it to allow effective conservation 334 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:08,880 of the species. 335 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:10,880 Okay, well, let's get into it. 336 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,880 The team has devised a two-pronged plan of attack. 337 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,880 We'll search for any physical signs of phylicine activity while also attempting to actually 338 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,880 draw one out at dusk when it's believed to hunt. 339 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:29,880 We hike through the dense forest and as we enter a clearing, I spot a fresh kill. 340 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,880 Proof that we're trailing a predator. 341 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:33,880 What is this? 342 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,880 It looks like sheep to me. 343 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:49,880 I'm on the island of Tasmania, tracking down evidence that the Tasmanian tiger still exists 344 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,880 and we may just have found a major lead. 345 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:55,880 It looks like sheep to me. 346 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:57,880 This is bone here. 347 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:02,880 What's big enough to take down a sheep out here? 348 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,880 In the past, the phylicine, hence why they put the bounty on it. 349 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:07,880 Right. 350 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:08,880 What do you think did this one end? 351 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:13,880 If it was on its absolute last legs, a Tasmanian devil, but I can't tell what it is. 352 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:15,880 Bill can't tell what it is. 353 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,880 Alright, well, keep our eyes open for a sheep killer. 354 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:32,880 I really can't overstate how absolutely rugged it is in here. 355 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,880 This is no ordinary walk in the woods. 356 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:41,880 Everywhere you look, really strange plants and you just don't even feel like you're on 357 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:43,880 planet Earth anymore. 358 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:49,880 Dusk is upon us and we're in the area of recent sightings. 359 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:54,880 If the phylicine really is out here, now it should be waking up to hunt. 360 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,880 Guys, this looks like a great area to break out some of the gizmos that we've got in our bags here. 361 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:06,880 We've got these sound blasters that basically projects the sound. 362 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:11,880 We've got a sound that's engineered to sound like a phylicine bark. 363 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,880 So the idea is we send this out and we hope something answers. 364 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:16,880 Yeah, absolutely. 365 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:22,880 The team breaks out a massive parabolic dish that can pinpoint sounds more than a half a mile into the jungle. 366 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,880 Once it's rigged up, Bill activates the artificial phylicine call. 367 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:37,880 It's amazing how much you can hear on these things. 368 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,880 I can hear mosquitoes buzzing birds across the way. 369 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,880 I left the TV on in my hotel room. 370 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,880 Wrestling. I hear something rustling. 371 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:05,880 I heard a bunch of birds reacting and then something rustling. 372 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,880 Whatever we heard is somewhere in here. We're losing light pretty fast. 373 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,880 Why don't we switch to infrared? Maybe we go out there, check it out, see if we can find any sign of it. 374 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:15,880 Yeah, absolutely. 375 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:22,880 Night has officially fallen, so we swap over to infrared cameras for the remainder of our search. 376 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:24,880 Okay, so what's our plan? 377 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,880 We're going to use the FLIR infrared to try and get a heat signature. 378 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:37,880 The FLIR is a thermal imaging camera that will reveal any wildlife hiding in the dark by illuminating the ambient heat it gives off. 379 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:39,880 Alright, let's do it guys. 380 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:52,880 Exploring this area at night is actually really stressful because whether there's a Tasmanian tiger here or not, 381 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,880 it is home to some extremely dangerous animals. 382 00:21:55,880 --> 00:22:01,880 Some of the most venomous snakes in the world live here, so you have to be cautious with every single footstep. 383 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:10,880 But as we look downward to avoid deadly snakes, we might do well to also watch for other dangers at eye level. 384 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:18,880 Got some bones here, guys. 385 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:20,880 Oh, look at that. 386 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:23,880 Alright, alright. 387 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:25,880 Bit of skull, I'll just left it. 388 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:35,880 This here is pretty telling. It looks like something's going to smash through there, 389 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,880 and that's the remnant of the upper canine tooth of the predator. 390 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:40,880 Right. 391 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:47,880 I reckon it's being killed by a marsupial, so either devil, quoll, or something else. 392 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,880 Yeah, whatever did this in was certainly intent. 393 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,880 Absolutely. So, uh, pry. Just go find the predator. 394 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,880 That's right. That's the fall of bones, I guess. They head off this way. 395 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,880 Oh, wait, wait, wait, guys, come here. 396 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:13,880 I just saw an eye up there. 397 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:15,880 Yeah, I could have found one. 398 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:17,880 Oh, there it is, yeah. 399 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,880 We're deep in the Tasmanian bush, tracking a marsupial predator in the dark. 400 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:30,880 Oh, wait, wait, wait, guys, come here. Come here. 401 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,880 And I've just spotted something that might be tracking us. 402 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:34,880 You see it? 403 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:36,880 Yeah. Yeah, I could have found one. 404 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:37,880 Oh, there it is, yeah. 405 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:38,880 Signature for a bone. 406 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:40,880 For sure. It's just sitting up in the tree. 407 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,880 Yeah, it looks like it's got a white stomach and maybe a white tiptile, 408 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,880 so it's got to be a culling ringtile possum. 409 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:50,880 We got a marsupial, at least. 410 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:52,880 Absolutely. That was a good spot. 411 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:53,880 Hey. 412 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,880 Keep your eyes open, guys. Come on. Get in the game. 413 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:01,880 We continue to push our way deeper into the back country. 414 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,880 Definitely got moving water right there. 415 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,880 Eventually hitting a river, which is a promising sign. 416 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,880 Animals have come down here to drink for sure. 417 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,880 Can't really get much further down here. 418 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,880 No, it looks like it might continue down that way. 419 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:17,880 Yeah, yep. 420 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:19,880 It looks like a bit of a game trail going up here. 421 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:20,880 Yeah, absolutely. 422 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,880 Why don't we split up? Chris, you and I can go check out along the water. 423 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:25,880 You guys want to follow that game trail up? See where it goes? 424 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:26,880 Absolutely. 425 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:35,880 The soil near the river is muddy, making this an ideal area to scan for animal tracks. 426 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:37,880 Let's see any tracks in here. 427 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:42,880 But before we spot anything, there's word from Warren that they've made a potentially incredible find. 428 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:43,880 Yo, Josh. 429 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:44,880 Yeah, go for Josh. 430 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,880 Look, we found a den side up here. 431 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:50,880 Sorry, go again. You see, you guys think you found a den? 432 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:52,880 Guys, get up here and check this thing out. 433 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:54,880 Stand by, right away. 434 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:04,880 What do you got, guys? 435 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:06,880 It's a great den song. 436 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:07,880 Look at that! 437 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:09,880 You could get access. 438 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:11,880 We're an animal down through there. 439 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,880 You want to check it out, see if there's anything down there? 440 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:14,880 Yeah. 441 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:18,880 Oh, whoa. 442 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:20,880 Chris, does it dead end or does it keep going? 443 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,880 No, it's deeper in, but it's two an hour. 444 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,880 Okay, I'm going to go around the edge of this, see if I can see another opening. 445 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:27,880 Okay? 446 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:29,880 Alright, stand by, guys. 447 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:33,880 Looks like there might actually be another way through here. 448 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:38,880 Oh! 449 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:42,880 We got a cave down here! 450 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:44,880 Chris! 451 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:45,880 Coming! 452 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:47,880 Look at that. 453 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:48,880 Awesome. 454 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,880 I think that must connect up to the den you saw. 455 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:54,880 Oh, yeah, absolutely. 456 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:56,880 It's probably chimed everywhere. 457 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:57,880 Okay. 458 00:25:57,880 --> 00:25:59,880 It's super slippery in here. 459 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:01,880 This whole thing just slumps off to nothing. 460 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:02,880 I'll go check it out. 461 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:03,880 You want to hang here? 462 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:04,880 Yeah, for sure. 463 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:11,880 Drops way down. 464 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:15,880 Looks like an access point down here. 465 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:29,880 Okay, I'm in! 466 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:41,880 Josh, for Chris, come in. 467 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:43,880 Dive for Chris. 468 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:45,880 I'm inside the cave. 469 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,880 I can see where that den connected. 470 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:50,880 Man, it's flooded as hell in here. 471 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:52,880 I don't think it's much of a habitat out here, 472 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:54,880 but I can see a dryer section further back. 473 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:56,880 I'm going to go investigate it. 474 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:57,880 That's cool, Josh. 475 00:26:57,880 --> 00:26:58,880 Stay safe. 476 00:26:58,880 --> 00:26:59,880 It looks sketchy. 477 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:01,880 Yeah, it is. 478 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:02,880 And cold. 479 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:04,880 I'm going to keep my eyes open for any prints, though. 480 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:05,880 Lots of mud and sand down here. 481 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:07,880 I'll let you know if I find anything. 482 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,880 The cave is like a limestone obstacle course, 483 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,880 and it's hard to see more than just a few feet in front of me. 484 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,880 That wasn't my most graceful landing. 485 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:41,880 Got all this soft sand here off to the edges of the stream flow. 486 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,880 If anything came through here or has been living down here, 487 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:47,880 you'll definitely leave a track. 488 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,880 This could be a track, but it's really hard to tell. 489 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,880 You can see some impressions here, but man, it's really, 490 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:58,880 that's a little too close to call for me. 491 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:00,880 Nothing. 492 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,880 I don't see any other markings of anything that's been in here at all. 493 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:07,880 Oh, look at this! 494 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,880 Holy, that is a print! 495 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:18,880 It's the middle of the night in Tasmania, 496 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,880 and I've just found a clear sign of an animal presence 497 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:23,880 deep inside this cave. 498 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:24,880 Look at this! 499 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:25,880 Look at this! 500 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:26,880 That is a print! 501 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:27,880 That is a print for sure. 502 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:28,880 Look at that! 503 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:30,880 You can see the actual towpads, 504 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:32,880 and then the main part of the paw right there. 505 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:33,880 Look at that! 506 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:36,880 100% that's a print from something sizable. 507 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,880 Let's see if there's anything else. 508 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:40,880 Oh, here, here, back here. 509 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:41,880 Another one. 510 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,880 Same exact thing right there. 511 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:44,880 Looks like the other paw. 512 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:47,880 Josh, for Chris, come in. 513 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:49,880 Dive for Chris, Josh. 514 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:51,880 Listen, man, I got what it looked like. 515 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:53,880 A couple of prints down here. 516 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:54,880 Awesome. 517 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:56,880 Okay, I'm gonna snap some photos, 518 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:57,880 see if there's anything else down here, 519 00:28:57,880 --> 00:28:58,880 and then head back up. 520 00:28:58,880 --> 00:28:59,880 Cool, cool. 521 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:00,880 That's crazy. 522 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:09,880 Okay, we got photos. 523 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,880 I check out, make sure there's nothing else down here, 524 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:14,880 hiding in the dark. 525 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:15,880 Into the line. 526 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:17,880 It's a dead end. 527 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:19,880 So whatever was down here that left those prints, 528 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:20,880 is not here now. 529 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:21,880 I'll tell you what, though, 530 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:23,880 it's absolutely awesome down here. 531 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:24,880 Just stunning. 532 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:25,880 But, no file is seen here. 533 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:27,880 Away we go. 534 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:31,880 The cave prints are an encouraging sign. 535 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:35,880 So we stay on the hunt through the night, 536 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:36,880 scouring out the area. 537 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:37,880 We're gonna go get some photos. 538 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:38,880 We're gonna get some photos. 539 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:39,880 We're gonna get some photos. 540 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:40,880 We're gonna get some photos. 541 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:41,880 We're gonna get some photos. 542 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:42,880 We're gonna get some photos. 543 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:43,880 We're gonna get some photos. 544 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:44,880 We'll be here in the night, 545 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:45,880 scouring every inch of this valley. 546 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:48,880 By the light of a new day, 547 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:49,880 we reconvene at camp. 548 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:52,880 Between the remains of the prey we found, 549 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:53,880 the rustling noises, 550 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:54,880 the den, 551 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:56,880 and the mysterious print, 552 00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:57,880 there's certainly evidence 553 00:29:57,880 --> 00:29:59,880 of a serious predator on the prowl here. 554 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:02,880 Chris and his team will need to analyze our finds, 555 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:03,880 and while they do, 556 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,880 I'm pressing on to follow another hot lead. 557 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:08,880 My search is being thrust 558 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:10,880 in a different and surprising direction. 559 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:12,880 Thanks to a breaking new video, 560 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:18,340 a breaking new video. This footage, released during my visit, was captured in the southern 561 00:30:18,340 --> 00:30:23,260 part of the Australian mainland, where the Phylusene has reportedly been extinct for 562 00:30:23,260 --> 00:30:33,260 2,000 years. I hop a short flight up to Melbourne to get to the bottom of recent Phylusene sightings 563 00:30:33,260 --> 00:30:40,260 in the region. This funky town is the birthplace of the Hemsworth brothers, Vegard, and the 564 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:48,480 Jemite and Flea. It's also home to the Queen Victorian Market, the largest open-air market 565 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:52,880 in the southern hemisphere, where one can sample a staple of the Phylusene's diet. 566 00:30:52,880 --> 00:31:00,480 Can I try the kangaroo salami? That's pure kangaroo. Pure kangaroo. Here we go. 100% 567 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:08,800 kangaroo salami. Well, that's fantastic. There's bad news for kangaroos everywhere. 568 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:14,960 Very good salad. Man, I need a really good kangaroo salami joke right about here. It's 569 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:22,000 pouch hop, sprinkle a bit of rillton soup. I really enjoyed this. 570 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:30,240 No, I got nothing. Now that we've determined who the real apex predator is around here, 571 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:37,280 I head south of the city to meet a local Phylusene hunter named Michael Moss. He doesn't just believe 572 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:42,880 mainland sightings are the real deal. He's got the historical research and personal experience to 573 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,040 back it up. How you doing? Pretty good. Thanks, Josh. How are you? Good. Nice to meet you. 574 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:51,360 You too, mate. Pleasure. Look at this place. Sensational, isn't it? It's stunning. I can 575 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,760 hardly believe that I'm an hour and a half from downtown Melbourne. It feels like another world. 576 00:31:55,760 --> 00:32:03,360 It is. Yeah. So Phylusene, Tasmanian tiger, obviously associated with Tasmania. So, you know, 577 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:06,480 how do we get to be looking for this creature here on the Australian mainland? 578 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:12,400 Yeah, in between 1908 and 1940, Josh, in this part of mainland Australia, they introduced 579 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:17,360 22 native species for free range introduction. Okay. And that was to preserve them? 580 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:21,120 Yeah, to preserve native species under the threat of extinction in their native habitat. 581 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:28,000 In the early 1900s, a wildlife preservation program aimed to reintroduce nearly extinct 582 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:34,080 species to mainland Australia. Michael believes that the Phylusene was among the animals released, 583 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:39,200 but due to its bad reputation, the information was kept secret. Michael's research further 584 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:44,720 shows that there were no recorded sightings on the mainland until shortly after the reintroduction 585 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:52,160 program began. Coincidence? He thinks not. And the new video shot not far from here further backs 586 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:57,680 up his claim, not to mention Michael's own encounter. I did 998. I had my own experience. 587 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:01,680 You did? Yeah. Yeah. I was sitting on the hillside. I had a video camera. 588 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,880 And you had the footage? I had the footage. Can I see it? Yes, you certainly can. 589 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:11,120 This is awesome. Yes. Yep. Here's the footage, Josh. There it is on the hillside there. 590 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:18,000 Oh my God. Look at that. It has a really strange tail. It has the characteristics 591 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,960 that you'd expect from a Tasmanian tiger. It has this really kind of elongated tail, 592 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:28,080 but also it's kind of stiff. Yes. And that's the giveaway of it. Obviously, I was too far away 593 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,920 to see the stripes. I was too busy filming it. I saw it for a couple of seconds before it went 594 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:36,720 into the bush. What was going through your mind when you filmed this? I didn't think I just acted. 595 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:40,480 Right. And then afterwards, you must have been ecstatic. Oh, I was punching the air. It stays 596 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:46,800 with me till this day. This is really extraordinary because the tail does not look like a dog at all, 597 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:51,680 and it's hard to account for what that really is. Exactly. Okay. So video like this, eyewitness 598 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:56,080 sightings like this do make a really interesting case for this being on the Australian mainland. 599 00:33:56,080 --> 00:34:00,640 So why here? Why are we here today? There's been some recent alleged sightings of Tasmania 600 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:05,280 Tigers just in this catchment here. So what's the plan for today then? Well, we're going to visit 601 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:10,480 the cameras. I've got trail cameras strategically located on game trials. So we'll check the cameras, 602 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:14,720 the SD card, see what we get, the 10 second video clips. Hopefully we've got our striped friend there. 603 00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:18,160 You hopefully there's a Tasmanian tiger on there. Exactly. And how far out of the cameras? 604 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:22,480 There's a little way in, but don't worry. Just have a speedy way of getting you out there. 605 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:26,160 All right. All right, like that. Michael leads me to the edge of a clearing 606 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:32,240 where I come face to face with this little beauty. This is a Tom Carr, Josh. Militia 607 00:34:32,240 --> 00:34:36,160 grade off-road vehicles. And it's good for phthalosine hunting. It's a great phthalosine 608 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,960 hunting material. Let's put her through the paces. Come on. Let's see what she can do. 609 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:44,800 I strap in. Michael turns the key and we're off. 610 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:56,800 Oh, it's just my kind of driving. It's going to be a real shame if we see one of these 611 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:02,800 stylusines and then run it over. How far out of these cameras? 612 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:04,960 Here on the right. Great. 613 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:12,880 Michael leads us to a spot deep in the woods where he's deployed multiple trap cameras. 614 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:18,800 The plan is to remove and replace the memory cards and see if they've captured any promising footage. 615 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,960 Well placed. It was camouflage. Exactly, man. Okay. So what's the move here? 616 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:27,280 It's pretty simple. Josh, we just open the bottom up here, just press out the SD card. 617 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:32,400 We just substitute another one in there. Put in a fresh one. Yep. Got it. And you're back next. 618 00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:34,880 On to the next. 619 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:44,720 We pull card after card, carefully collecting the media in the hopes that we've captured 620 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:50,560 photographic proof of a living file. Josh, you want to drive to the next camera? 621 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,440 Do I want to drive? Yeah. Oh, yes. Yes, I do. 622 00:35:55,120 --> 00:36:00,640 Okay. You've made a huge mistake. You realize that, right? Here we go. 623 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:24,400 After putting the Tom car through its paces 624 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:31,520 and scaring the scat out of Michael, we pull the last memory card and check the footage. 625 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:36,240 Okay, Josh, we got all the cards. Let's see what we got. Yeah. There you go. Little mouse there. 626 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,640 That doesn't look that little. What's about this big? Oh, no. That's the Australian version. 627 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,240 I was going to say a little mouse in Australia is like the biggest rat I've ever seen. 628 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:50,800 We look at each video clip after clip when something surprising suddenly jumps into frame. 629 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:53,200 What the hell is that? 630 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:03,920 I'm in southern mainland Australia where there have been a string of recent 631 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:09,360 thylacine sightings and Michael Moss may have just captured a brand new one on camera. 632 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:15,920 There it is. There it is. Yes. What the hell is that? Walking around behind the log. Very interesting. 633 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:19,280 Here, see it up again. Long tail. Yes. 634 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,800 See that? Extremely long tail finish as well. What is that? That's a good question. 635 00:37:26,240 --> 00:37:32,160 Wow. That's not a possum. No. That's not a mouse. No, it's not a dog or a cat either. 636 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:36,080 What could have something serious here, Josh? Wait, is that it? Could be. 637 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:39,600 If it turns out to be a thylacine, do I get partial credit for having been here? 638 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:46,160 No, I think you might. Co-discover? Yeah, maybe. Maybe. He's already cutting me out of the deal. 639 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:50,480 Yes, exactly. I'm really excited to hear what that is. Let me know what that is. Will you? 640 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:55,520 Definitely. You'll be the first to know. Michael plans to enhance the footage and share it with 641 00:37:55,520 --> 00:38:04,320 fellow researchers to get a positive ID. In the meantime, I make one final stop at the 642 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:09,600 Melbourne Museum to meet an evolutionary biologist who's made an incredible discovery 643 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:13,760 that could rewrite the ending to the grim tale of the Tasmanian tiger. 644 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:18,560 Let's talk about the work that you've been doing. How did this project start? 645 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:23,280 So back in about 2002, we started looking at the thylacine in more detail. 646 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:27,840 You were collecting genetic samples? Yeah, so there's a large collection of thylacine material 647 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:32,640 in museum collections across the globe. So people have a lot of skin specimens because the pelts had 648 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:37,600 the really charismatic stripes on it. There's also a lot of skeletons around and then also some 649 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:42,320 of the poucheon. So actually the baby's taken out of the mum's pouches and they've been preserved 650 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:46,560 in alcohol in a few collections. Did you find that you were able to get good genetic material? 651 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:50,320 We probably looked at about 100 samples. For some specimens, we were able to find they had 652 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:54,400 quite intact fragments of DNA, whereas others were completely destroyed and it was almost 653 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:58,720 impossible for us to get anything from them. What percentage of the genome do you think you had 654 00:38:58,720 --> 00:39:05,920 from them? Oh, it would be far less than 1%. I mean we're talking .0001% of the genome, if that. 655 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:12,560 Okay. But then we were able to find one specimen in particular that had really intact chromosomal DNA. 656 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:18,320 Wow. I can show you. You have it. Yeah, this is the actual specimen, this one here. So you can see 657 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:23,680 in there, that's the whole poucheon. Look at that baby thylacine. And so from this sample, 658 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:27,520 along with the other materials you collected, how much genetic information were you able to get? 659 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:32,560 The big advance that we got once we found this specimen is we were able to the first time actually 660 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:37,120 go in and then sequence the entire genome of this species. 100% of it. All of it. So we've 661 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:40,960 sequenced the whole thing now. You went from 1% to 100% to the whole thing being done. 662 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:45,600 And has that been published yet? No, so we're about to publish that. But it's a really huge 663 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:50,160 advance, obviously. And our understanding of the biology of this species is now for the first 664 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:54,000 time being able to look at the entire blueprint of this particular animal. 665 00:39:54,960 --> 00:40:00,000 So now the million dollar question. You have the blueprint. Can you rebuild it? 666 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,120 As far as doing the cloning or bringing back a whole living species, 667 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:07,280 certainly sequencing the genome is the first massive hurdle that you have to get through. 668 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:11,680 And we've done that now. We still don't quite yet have the technology to go from 669 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:17,760 knowing what the genome looked like to making whole viable chromosomes and cells and then a whole 670 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:22,160 organism. Do you have an opinion on whether something like that should be done? 671 00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:27,280 We were responsible for wiping them out. So I think we owe it to this species to try and 672 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:30,720 bring it back to do everything that we can. So watch this space. Watch this space. 673 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:34,720 There may be a thylacine running around in it soon. You never know. That's right. 674 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:42,320 On my trek through Tasmania in search of the thylacine, one thing stood out most. 675 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:47,280 Everyone I met desperately hoped that their ancestors didn't completely kill off this 676 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:53,040 unique native species. Of course, the hunt for an elusive and possibly extinct creature 677 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:58,320 is bound to come with uncertainties, like the video that Michael Moss captured on the mainland. 678 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:03,520 I was hopeful we were looking at a Tasmanian tiger, but it's too hard to make a positive ID 679 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:08,720 and it could be nothing more than a local fox. The scat on Andrew Orchard's property 680 00:41:08,720 --> 00:41:14,720 failed to yield up testable DNA and so proved inconclusive. The prints from the cave? 681 00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:20,320 Compelling. But without a sighting of the creature that left them, it will also remain open-ended. 682 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:26,480 But one thing is certain. If the Tasmanian tiger is still out there as so many people believe, 683 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:32,320 it will take devotees like Andrew and Michael to keep the hope alive. And professionals like 684 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:38,320 the Phylacine Research Unit to track down physical proof. And while we don't yet know for sure if 685 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:44,080 remnants of the species continue to live in the wilds of Australia, we do know that science is 686 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:52,080 closer than ever to reversing the sins of our past.