i have always been fascinated by the thylacine. the tasmanian tiger. although declared extinct in 1936 long before my birth, i along with many others hold hope that the species is still out there.
i bought this book for my dad sometime last year as a gift (i must admit, when i gave it to him, i made him promise once he had read it that he would give it back to me to read.) and he said he really enjoyed it. so did i. i finally got around to reading it and wow. in the opening information in the book, it's suggested that you do not read it unless you have plenty of time on your hands, as you're unlikely to put it down and i can see why.
the book is filled with tales old and new of those who have personally seen the thylacine, or know tales of those who did in their time. it was absolutely fascinating reading these eye witness accounts. a few bogus ones have been thrown in, but they are marked as such - and what good is a book without entertainment? i was definitely educated though, i had no idea the tiger had ever been found on the mainland!
it got me thinking again, why would someone claim to see one if they actually hadn't? what good would it do them? it's not going to bring them fortune or fame without solid proof, in fact, quite the opposite... i can only see people bringing ridicule upon themselves for claiming they've seen an animal declared extinct so many years ago. i am inclined to believe nearly all the accounts and genuinely hope one day they'll be roaming tasmania again.
i thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who has a love for the tasmanian tiger. an excellent read.
