Queensland Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) Sighting Reports
Reports from other states and countries can be accessed here.
NB: Please note that I have taken the liberty of quoting liberally from all sources. This is only to make it easier for the reader to access these reports which would otherwise be spread over many websites and other mediums (e.g. newspaper articles, books, CD's etc.). In all cases I have clearly cited the source.
Summarisation of sightings:
- "Naturalist Janiece Plunkett collected over 100 stories of Thylacine sightings in FNQ [i.e. Far North Queensland] during the 1970s" (source)
- 13 individual reports ranging from 1957-2005 can be seen here
- Rod Simpson: "Have collected many sightings of the Thylacine up in the wilds of Far North Queensland...interviewed witnesses etc....people are describing the Thylacine" Source: guestbook entry at Thylacine Museum.
QLD.1871.xx.xx
"We have said above that the thylacine was probably confined to Tasmania. The reason that we were not more affirmative was that we remembered that on two occasions the Zoological Society of London has received information that tends to make us believe in the existence in Australia of a carnivorous marsupial more or less analogous, if not identical, with the thylacine. In a letter addressed to Mr. Sclater, Mr. B. G. Sheridan, of Cardwell (Queensland), states, in fact, that his son, a boy of 13, who was accustomed to run the woods like an old hunter, was out one day accompanied by a small terrier, when he saw the latter obtain a scent and follow it up with eagerness. Curious to know what game he had to do with, the boy ran after his dog, and found himself face to face with an animal of the size of a dingo dog, with a round head like that of a cat, with a long tail, and with a body striped with yellow and black, and which was crouching in the high grass at about a mile from the coast. The dog and the savage beast soon grappled, and the boy, in order to aid his companion, tried to kill the enemy with a pistol shot, but having merely succeeded in wounding and rendering it more furious, he judged it prudent to beat a retreat."
Source: Anonymous. (1890). The dog-headed opossum. Leader (Melbourne), Saturday, 26 April, p. 8.
"In 1871 a zoological sensation became current, for it seemed possible that the Thylacine, a Tasmanian animal, also inhabited Australia. That it formerly did so there is no possible doubt, for remains of an allied species (Thylacinus spelæus) have been found in the Pleistocene deposits of Wellington Valley, and were presented by Count Strzelecki to the College of Surgeons Museum. It appeared that when out with his dog near Rockingham Bay a lad named Sheridan had his attention drawn to the furious barking of the dog, which took up scent from a piece of scrub and, following the trail for half a mile, came up with a beast as big as a dog lying in the grass. It had a round face like a cat's and a long tail; the body was striped from the ribs under the belly with yellow and black. The dog pluckily flew at it but was thrown ; Sheridan approached and fired, wounding it in the head. The mysterious beast ran up a tree, but the dog barking, it became savage and rushed first at the dog and then at Sheridan ; from the description it can hardly have been anything but a Thylacine, for the only other candidate is the Banded Wallaby, a small species of timid disposition and very unlikely to be able to throw a terrier."
Source: Renshaw, Graham. (1938). The Thylacine. Journal of the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire 35: 47-49.
QLD.1872/73.xx.xx
"An animal of the same species was also perceived by a police officer of the same district, and traces of it have been observed on several occasions. Thus in 1872, a Mr. Hull, having been called by his inspection service, to the north of Cardwell, was taking a little rest in his tent, when, in the stillness of the night, he heard the barking of an unknown animal. He at once started out with his companions, armed with guns, but could not see the beast. In return, he discovered the imprint of its feet upon the ground, and made a faithful tracing of the same, which he sent to England through a Mr. Scott. Now this imprint seems to conform well to the track of a carnivorous animal of the size of a thylacine."
Source: Anonymous. (1890). The dog-headed opossum. Leader (Melbourne), Saturday, 26 April, p. 8.
"In confirmation Mr. Hull's party, surveying the Murray and Mackay Rivers in 1873, found an imprint of a four-toed animal with non-retractile claws : a sketch made at the time shows spoor which might well be that of a Thylacine."
Source: Renshaw, Graham. (1938). The Thylacine. Journal of the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire 35: 47-49.
QLD.1923/24.xx.xx
"Re 'Tiger"
As a young man (born 1900) a brother and I, while opening up a new cane farm at Waugh's Pocket near Innisfail in 1923/4 lived in a small house surrounded by scrub (Rainforest). Late one night we heard our fowls disturbed and proceeded to investigate. Mr brother grabbed the kerosene table lamp and I grabbed a new axe handle. I was in the fowl house with the animal when the lamp blew out. The door was of course closed. When it was relit the snarling animal was low down in one corner and I was high up in the other. However, we killed it and next morning seeing it as a novelty we studied it closely. Being extremely busy and broke we threw it away in the scrub and have thought little of it since, but as I was the one locked in with it and thus dragged it outside, the tension and excitement of those few minutes left me with very clear recollections of the animal and the incident. I enclose the cutting which prompted this letter and [illegible]. The paragraphs marked with a X are about identical with the animal we killed. My added description would be - coarse sparse hair similar to a pig's; - slight upward curve at end of the straight tail, - dog type feet - A mouth of strong dog like teeth - It was a male, purely dog type animal with no hope of climbing a tree - The black stripes carried down along the tail i.e. across the tail as in the body. For want of a better name we called it a native cat, but it was definitely not a cat. It being a male and at that time not having heard of a marsupial tiger I do not recall any indication of a marsupial nature.
As bona fides I quote that the abovementioned brother L. O. ARNOLD still lives at Waugh's Pocket and mother is a retired shire clerk residing at Mareeba (Upper Byrne St)(Atherton Road).
As the fowls, already mentioned, had disappeared slowly one by one, I would use fowls to try and trap a "Tiger".
The animal we killed appeared to be extremely timid, is extremely scarce - probably nocturnal and the slightest strange smell or noise would send it to cover."
Source: http://malcolmscryptids.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-thylacine-in-north-queensland.html
QLD.1938.11.xx
"Strange Animal Seen
rifles."
Source: Anonymous. (1938). Strange Animal Seen. Barrier Miner, 26 November, p. 6.
QLD.1938.xx.xx
"Strange Animal Seen
Source: Anonymous. (1938). Strange Animal Seen. Barrier Miner, 26 November, p. 6.
QLD.1946?.xx.xx #1-2
"The animals shot at Toogoom were not cats; they were thylacines, or what are known in Tasmania as wolf dog, or devil. It must be remembered that at one time Tasmania was connected with the mainland, and as this animal has not died out in the small island, there is no reason to assume that it has died out here.
Let me give the chief characteristics of...these rare animals...The thylacine has a head like a dog with a long nose, triangular ears, smooth tongue, extended claws, and invariably gives birth to four pups at one time. They swing the hind part of the body when walking, like a duck waddling along. Their colour is a grey fawn, something like some Jersey cows. The female shot near Toogoom was of this colour; the male had black points. These all tally with the animals shot (Thylacinus Cynocephalus). I would like to see a pair got and properly skinned and stuffed, and presented to the School of Arts, Maryborough."
Source: Cook, G. (1946). Wild Animals (Letters To The Editor). Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, Saturday, 5 October, p. 9.
QLD.1957.xx.xx
Late 1957, Black Hill near Wenlock.
"Witness was up around the Iron Range National Park area surveying. He knew a family who had made their way up there and had moved into the old abandoned US army camp left behind from WWll. He was there one day when the son who was about 8-9yrs old came running into the camp terrified, saying he had just seen a tiger. Upon hearing this news the boy’s mother showed the boy a picture of a hyena from a wildlife book that she had in her possession. The boy said that the animal that he saw was “like that”. The witness asked the kid to show him where about he had seen the animal, and the kid obliged and went back to show him. Witness took his shotgun and a very big pig dog with them just in case. As they neared a ridge, with granite boulders and small caves the pig dog started to growl and took off into one of the caves, no sooner had he done that when he came out again, tumbling down the slope and just took off in the opposite direction, yelping. Just then an Alsatian sized striped animal walked out of the cave with 3 little pups. Witness states that the animal was a fawny/sandy color and that it appeared to have a snout. It had high shoulders which then tapered off towards the hindquarters. Along its back were a number of darker colored stripes. The animal looked square at both he and the boy for about 10-15 seconds then jogged off around the corner of the ridge with its 3 pups behind and disappeared. Witness states that he had a pretty good look at the animal, though it was a little above him on a small ridge, about 30 metres away. Witness says that he froze and was stunned at what he was looking at. At the time he had never seen any pictures of the Thylacine so he was baffled as to what it was he saw. He decided to go round the ridge for a look because he had a rifle with him, so he ventured along for a short while before getting unnerved and coming back. It was only later when he saw a photo of a Thylacine did he realise that this is what he saw that day.
He went into the cave which was about 3metres deep and says there were many footprints in the dust, the biggest being the size of a man’s palm."
QLD.195X.xx.xx #1
An old retired ranger recalls hearing several thylacine stories, including:
"A friend of his when young almost 60 yrs ago [as of 2009?] had a close encounter with one on Jarrah Crk Rd."
QLD.195X.xx.xx #2
"Other workers mentioned seeing a similar animal during the time he was up there between 1956-59."
QLD.1969.xx.xx
Early 1969, near Maalan Road, Millaa Millaa.
"Witness says that whilst he was timber cutting with other workers this animal would come round the campsite in the early mornings sniffing around for food etc…
One morning witness stuck his head out of his tent and saw the animal with its head in a open can of Sunshine powdered milk, so he grabbed his gun and fired at it. As first he thought he had missed it but the animal jumped up in the air, ran about 10metres into the bush then fell over dead. He states that it turned out that he had shot the can and the bullet entered the animals head. He and a workmate dragged the animal out and looked at it.....He said, he wished he had a camera with him looking back on the incident now.
They went up to the next camp just up the road and told the other workers who came down to look at. They dragged up to there campsite to show people then threw it in the bush.
Witness describes the animal as being a short haired fawny color, with blackish dark brown and between the dark stripes a lighter white stripe along its back. It was the size a medium sized dog, had small ears and a long slim tail.
Showing the witness a black and white photo of a Tasmanian Tiger/Thylacine he said that this was the animal that he had shot. He was quite sure about it. He called it a Marsupial Tiger.
He said that they used to see them every now and then in the mornings in the Malaan forest before they began work...They were quite common up until the 1970s...He also states that he used to see them quite often around the Malaan forest where he worked as a timber cutter for over 40years."
QLD.196X.xx.xx #1
The friend of an old retired ranger:
"A good and honest friend of his had a sighting in the late 60s with another timber worker at Mt Bartle Frere. They were walking along a snig track in the early morning, looking for trees to cut when 50yards or so up ahead they saw a ‘thylacine’ come out from under a big rock and step out onto the track. The animal stopped and stared at them and snarled at them abit like a cat does, then silently walked into the bush. They described the animal as being the size of an Alsatian dog, it had stripes on its hindquarters, a thin long tail, small ears and piercing eyes. They had no doubt that they had just seen a Thylacine and decided to keep it to themselves because they knew that no one would believe them. The old ranger said that his mate was honest almost to a fault."
"Account forwarded from a witness that a good and honest friend of his had a sighting in the late 60s with another timber worker in Mt Bartle Frere area. They were walking along a track in the early morning, looking for trees to cut when 50 yards or so up ahead they saw a ‘thylacine’ come out from under a big rock and step out onto the track. The animal stopped and stared at them and snarled at them similar to the way a cat does, then silently walked into the bush. They described the animal as being “the size of an Alsatian dog, it had stripes on its hindquarters, a thin long tail, small ears and piercing eyes”. They had no doubt that they had just seen a Thylacine and decided to keep it to themselves because they knew that no one would believe them. The old ranger said that his mate was honest almost to a fault."
Source: https://yowietracks.com/2020/05/02/encounter-7-tales-from-a-retired-ranger/
QLD.196X.xx.xx #2
An old retired ranger heard several thylacine stories, including:
"Also another friend in the 1960s was hunting wild turkey with his small dog when his dog bailed something up in the bush. He sent his dog in to get it, thinking it was a turkey, but whatever it was attacked his dog, the dog bolted out and the bloke shot at whatever it was in the bush. He believed he had hit the animal. A week later he went back with his father and had a look in the bush for whatever it was he had shot and found a dead Thylacine."
"Also a friend in the 60s was hunting wild turkey with his small dog when his dog bailed something up in the bush. He sent his dog in to get it, thinking it was a turkey, but whatever it was attacked his dog. He called the dog back and shot at whatever it was in the bush. He believed he had hit the animal. A week later he went back with his father and had a look in the bush for whatever it was he had shot and found a dead thylacine. (Report Credit: Rod Simpson)"
Source: https://yowietracks.com/2020/05/02/encounter-7-tales-from-a-retired-ranger/
QLD.196X.xx.xx #3-#8
All this occured near Topaz. I take the married couple's sightings "on a number of occasions" to be at least three sightings. And their "many" colleagues' sightings to be at least three different sightings, although "many" would seem to indicate substantially more:
"Witness and his wife over a period of years logging in the area have on a number of occasions seen what they call the Native Tiger or Marsupial Tiger...also known as a Thylacine. They describe it as being medium/large dog size, yellow in color with dark stripes on its back and a long thin tail. It has low legs and is a very sneaky animal, coming around there campsites during the night and early morning. One actually opened a tin lid of sunshine milk to get at the powdered milk. They also had something that would come round at night and kill there chooks by biting their necks. They thought maybe that the native tiger was the culprit.
They have had a number of sightings of the animal during the years they spent camped out during logging operations....Many of there work colleagues have also see the animal, its never been a really big deal when they saw one for they were around the area...Everyone knew about them.
Whistling sound in the bush, [they are] wondering if it is connected"
QLD.1972.12.18?
"News of the sightings and my comment that the description "fitted that of the Thylacine well" elicited a letter to the A.B.C. from Mr. Ed Morton, Honorary Protector of Flora and Fauna, that the beast must not be shot as the sightings had occurred in a Fauna Sanctuary. He also mentioned that he and his boss - Bill Weare of Upper Barron - had seen it.
I interviewed both Mr. Morton and Mr. Weare on 24th January, 1973. Mr. Weare was away when I was speaking to Mr. Morton whose description was as follows.
"Dingo-like except for the short neck. Head like that of a dog and ears very erect. Black vertical stripes from forequarters to hindquarters. Tail dog-like, not bushy. In very good condition. Never seen anything like it before. Not mangy. It stayed to watch for a while then took off into the bush."
He was unable to sketch the animal, but on one done by me he agreed that the tail was straight and diagonally down. The stripes he thought were not absolutely vertical, but at a slight diagonal sloping backwards from top to bottom.
Bill Weare returned just as I was finishing talking to Mr. Morton and his description - he had not heard Morton's - was as follows.
"Thick neck, tail straight and held diagonally down possibly with a bit of an upwards curve. Body colour dark brown, several vertical stripes. Never seen one before. An awkward looking thing. About 18" at the shoulder and body about 2 ft. long."
When shown the picture of a Thylacine in Ride (1970) - after obtaining their descriptions - Mr. Weare though that the stripes came round towards the belly more on the animal he had seen. Mr. Morton thought that the picture was a very close likeness, more so than the one in Troughton (1962). Mr. Weare was little more cautious.
They saw the animal between 9.00 and 10.00 a.m. on a fine sunny morning about 200 yds. on the Atherton side of the Herberton turn-off as they were travelling towards Ravenshoe at about 35 m.p.h. [56 kph]. Ed Morton was driving and remarked "Look, there's a dingo". It moved off the road in no greathurry and passed just inside the bush, but the momentum of their truck loaded with bees took them past before they thought of stopping.
Mr. Weare checked his diary and thought the date had been 18th December 1972, but he was a little uncertain."
Source: http://malcolmscryptids.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-thylacine-in-north-queensland.html
QLD.1972.12.23
"Aloomba woman reports seeing Tableland beast
An Aloomba woman reported yesterday she had also seen the strange striped animal sighted near Herberton and Ravenshoe road junction on Saturday night. Mrs Rhonda Gadaloff, of Aloomba, said that on December 23 while travelling from Ravenshoe to Aloomba she saw an animal identical to the one described in "The Cairns Post" yesterday. She said: "The animal walked to the side of the road and watched me drive slowly past. When I sighted it I was about a mile on the Ravenshoe side of the junction"
The animal has been described as light tawny brown in color with dark vertical stripes about 1½ ins. wide across its body. It stands 18 in. high on long slim straight legs. Its body also appears very straight.
SMALL HEAD
The animal is reported to have a small triangular head with a pointed mouth, small round ears, and a short neck. The 18 in tail is the same thickness throughout and finishes in a rounded tip.
Mrs Gadaloff said she believed the animal may be what was referred to in her youth as a "tiger cat."
"I never saw one as they were very rare," Mrs Gadaloff [said], "but I was once told that they sucked fowls dry if they had the opportunity."
Mrs Gadaloff said she grew up in North Barron which is about three miles from the Crater."
Source: Anonymous. (1973). Aloomba woman reports seeing Tableland beast. The Cairns Post, Thursday, 18 January. [text here]
John Winter's report:
"Mrs. Gadaloff had also seen the animal. She had seen it on 23rd December, 1972 about 1 mile on the Ravenshoe side of the turn-off and that the animal had "..... walked to the side of the road and watched me drive past".
I rang Mrs. Gadaloff to enquire about the time of the sighting. It was about 11.00 p.m. on a clear night. The animal was standing beside the road in full view and did not move when she drove past. Afterwards she wondered whether someone had ".. played a trick and put a stuffed one beside the road." She also said that 18" was a bit taller than her estimate, which was 12", but that it was difficult to judge the height."
Source: http://malcolmscryptids.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-thylacine-in-north-queensland.html
QLD.1972.12.xx
"Next day I was contacted by Janet Crump, of Herberton, who reported that she and her mother had seen the above animal right at the Herberton turn-off of the Ravenshoe-Atherton road at about 8.00 p.m. sometime in December, 1972. Ms. Crump emphasised the long thin tail and the stripes. She also said that the animal looked "very lean and hungry, but not mangy". A sketch drawn by here (Fig.1) indicated that the stripes did not encircle the body and that they came well forward, also that the tail was held diagonally downwards and straight rather than bowed. Apparently the animal did not seem particularly nervous of the car as it stood watching it for an appreciable time before disappearing. It was crossing from the rainforest towards the more open forest...the animal looked very lean & hungry. She suggested that it may have been coming to the water tap by the road. Stripes came well forward onto shoulders"
Source: http://malcolmscryptids.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-thylacine-in-north-queensland.html
QLD.1973.1.13
"Another strange beast sighted on Tableland
A strange animal, tawny brown in color with dark, vertical stripes on its back, has been sighted in bushland near the Herberton and Ravenshoe road junction. The animal was seen by Mr Len Watson, 35, a miner of Brownville via Mt Garner, and Mr Ron Tucker, 52, and his son, Harry, 17, of Brisbane. They sighted the animal around 10.15 pm on Saturday in scrub near the junction.
"The animal walked across in front of the car and stopped on the verge of a gully, before disappearing from sight," Mr Watson said.
Mr Watson described the beast as "light tawny brown in color with dark vertical stripes across its body." The stripes were approximately 1½ in [4 cm] wide. The animal stood 18 in [46 cm] from the ground on long, slim legs.
"Its body was 2 ft [61 cm] long, and appeared very straight with the underside being parallel to the top side," Mr Watson said. "The animal had a small triangular head with a pointed mouth and small round ears. It had a very short neck. The animal walked with its tail straight out behind it," he said. "The 18 in tail was the same thickness throughout and finished in a rounded tip. The legs were straight and when the beast walked, it walked like a cat."
"A zoo in Melbourne has expressed interest in the sighting and would be very interested to hear of any other sightings of the strange animal," Mr Watson said.
Over the past months another strange beast, called "The Cape Tribulation Tiger", has been sighted several times on the Cape Tribulation side of the Daintree River. The animal was said to be taller and longer than an Alsatian dog. It's tail was about one-and-a-half times as long as the average dog's tail. According to witnesses, the animal was dirty grey in color, with hair visible only on its back. It had a tiny head with a short neck and nose; small, rounded ears; and two fangs like pig tusks protruding from the upper jaw. The Cape Tribulation Tiger is said to utter a blood-curdling, yodelling cry."
Source: Anonymous. (1973a). Another strange beast sighted on Tableland. The Cairns Post, Wednesday, 17 January. [text here]
QLD.196X/7X.xx.xx #1
An old retired ranger heard several thylacine stories, including:
"He had also heard stories of a Thylacine being shot in the range near Mackay"
https://yowietracks.com/2020/05/02/encounter-7-tales-from-a-retired-ranger/
QLD.196X/7X.xx.xx #2
An old retired ranger heard several thylacine stories, including:
"another being shot up at Paluma and that the skin was hung in the local shop for a number of years."
https://yowietracks.com/2020/05/02/encounter-7-tales-from-a-retired-ranger/
"To say I was a little intrigued would be an understatement with respect to the claim detailed in Encounter #7 of an alleged “Thylacine skin” displayed in a store near Paluma, Queensland. I was interested to know if I could track down any further information on this amazing claim, as stories of these animals inhabiting North Queensland do appear from time to time. Firstly, I needed to get as much information as I could from the original witness if possible, as I did not collect the original details of the story. If there was truth to this claim, I also needed to prove that the store actually existed in the described location.
So looking at this information, there were some very interesting points raised. Firstly, a recollection of the skin displaying “stripes” as well as the claim of the animal displaying a “thick tail”. The claim of photos being taken of the animal was also of great interest. Further added was a potential location of the store, so I made some enquiries with local historical groups in the area...
[story continued at the source link below]"
QLD.196X/7X.xx.xx #3
An old retired ranger heard several thylacine stories, including:
"He also knows of a truck driver whom saw a thylacine near Mt Fox and whom signed a document supporting the fact."
Source: https://yowietracks.com/2020/05/02/encounter-7-tales-from-a-retired-ranger/
QLD.196X/7X.xx.xx #4
An old retired ranger heard several thylacine stories, including:
"A friend of his when he was young (almost 60 yrs ago) had a close encounter with one on Jarrah Creek Rd (near Tully)."
Source: https://yowietracks.com/2020/05/02/encounter-7-tales-from-a-retired-ranger/
QLD.197X.xx.xx
Early 1970's.
"Witness was with his son and a couple of there hunting dogs on their property in Cape Tribulation when they noticed an animal 100 yards away eating mangoes under one of their mango trees. It was the size of a dingo, a lightish dark brown color with very pronounced darker stripes running along its back and side. It was a long, slender animal. It had small ears and a short slim tail.
His dogs ran after it and caught up with it easily but did not touch the animal which surprised the witness as his dogs were hunting dogs.
The animal sort of bounded along, not like a dogs running style.
The 2 people had a clear look at the animal and at the time had no idea what they were looking at...Years later they came to the conclusion that what they had observed was in fact a Thylacine after seeing a few photos of one....
...He remembers it clearly for it had quite an impact on him, and especially when he came to realise that what he and his son both saw was a Thylacine....He has heard in the district a number of people sighting the same animal as well...Was in no doubt at what he and his son saw..Both had a good long look at the animal."
"Year: Early 1970s
His dogs ran after it and caught up with it easily but did not touch the animal which surprised the witness as his dogs were hunting dogs. Witness stated that “the animal sort of bounded along, not like a dogs running style“. (Report Credit: Rod Simpson)"
Source: https://yowietracks.com/2020/05/02/encounter-6-cape-tribulation/
QLD.1970's/1980/s.xx.xx
Patrick Shears, Queensland National Parks ranger at the time, saw one while on patrol one night:
"Mr Shears said he was lucky enough to have seen a creature resembling a thylacine or moonlight tiger while on patrol one evening.
Like Mr Hobbs [QLD.1983.xx.xx], he said the creature was shy but inquisitive.
"They're curious. If you're not moving and not making a noise they'll come within a reasonable range and check you out then just trot off," he said."
Source: Rigby, Mark and Stephen, Adam. (2017). Could Tasmanian tigers be living in the wilds of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula? ABC Far North (Queensland), 17 March.
Might be extra details in this magazine article: Lawton, Graham. (2017). Eye on the tiger. New Scientist 234(3124): 40-41. [Abstract: "Two tantalising sightings have got Bill Laurance on the hunt for Australia's most famous extinct animal"]
QLD.1983.xx.xx
Brian Hobbs, a former tourism operator, saw a thylacine family ("a male, a female and two pups") at night. An excerpt from a newspaper article in which he talks about the sighting:
"Mr Hobbs said he was camping with a friend when, in the middle of the night, something startled his German shepherd.
"I hopped out of bed and put her [the dog] on a short leash, grabbed a spotlight and started to look around the camp towards the ravine area where I'd been walking the dog previously," he said.
"All of a sudden I had these sets of red eyes looking at me and there was a male, a female and two pups — I got within 20 metres of them."
He said the animals made next to no noise as he approached and seemed curious about him and his camp.
...
According to Mr Hobbs the family of animals paid his camp another visit before the night was out, and again made no signs of aggression."
Source: Rigby, Mark and Stephen, Adam. (2017). Could Tasmanian tigers be living in the wilds of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula? ABC Far North (Queensland), 17 March.
Dr. Sandra Abell briefly mentions her meeting with Mr. Hobbs here:
Rigby, Mark. (2017). Tasmanian tiger 'sightings' spark scientific study on Queensland's Cape York Peninsula. ABC Far North (Queensland), 24 March (updated same day).
Might be extra details in this magazine article:
Lawton, Graham. (2017). Eye on the tiger. New Scientist 234(3124): 40-41. [Abstract: "Two tantalising sightings have got Bill Laurance on the hunt for Australia's most famous extinct animal"]
QLD.c1982-1982.xx.xx #1-#7+
"Year: Estimated between 1982 and 1984.
This was also not the only time this resident encountered descriptions of this animal and described a case involving tourists who claimed they encountered “tigers with funny shaped tails, hopping/funny running across the road” while on a trip to Cooktown which was published in the Cairns Post. He also claimed that he has heard the same description since from various famers in the areas of Millaa Millaa, Butchers Creek, North Johnston and Boonjie. He also had a farmer from Butchers creek show him a calf that was killed and eaten through a small hole in its side. The farmer did not claim to see the animal, though said that the manner in which the calf was killed was not consistent with animals such as dingoes, who were known to tear the animal open and not eat the gut of the animal with such precision."
QLD.c1987.xx.xx
A single witness, of unknown sex and age. The following account is reproduced twice to represent the two sightings. This is the first entry, while the second is catalogued as "QLD.1989.7.xx".
"[Let me tell you] about a strange animal I saw for a second time recently. I live in Caloundra, Queensland and twice have seen an animal, that was around the size of a border collie and looked very much like the tassie tiger on the cascade beer ad. The two sightings were around 10 pm with a gap between them, I think around two years. The animal both times was on the road and as soon as I stopped it vanished into a vacant lot the first time and into the darkness the other. Both times, it was in an area near Moffat Beach and Currimundi in Caloundra, near the Moffat Beach waterway. I was struck by the long body and snout and it being dog-like, but like nothing I have seen before. I have found some info on the Buderim beast and think perhaps we have something similar to a thylacine scavenging nocturnally in this region. Anyway, thought I would pass the info on. If I see it again, I will let you know."
Source: http://members.ii.net/~lawley/thylacine/anecdotes/index.html
QLD.1989.7.xx
A single witness, of unknown sex and age. The following account is reproduced twice to represent the two sightings. This is the second entry, while the first is catalogued as "QLD.c1987.xx.xx".
"[Let me tell you] about a strange animal I saw for a second time recently. I live in Caloundra, Queensland and twice have seen an animal, that was around the size of a border collie and looked very much like the tassie tiger on the cascade beer ad. The two sightings were around 10 pm with a gap between them, I think around two years. The animal both times was on the road and as soon as I stopped it vanished into a vacant lot the first time and into the darkness the other. Both times, it was in an area near Moffat Beach and Currimundi in Caloundra, near the Moffat Beach waterway. I was struck by the long body and snout and it being dog-like, but like nothing I have seen before. I have found some info on the Buderim beast and think perhaps we have something similar to a thylacine scavenging nocturnally in this region. Anyway, thought I would pass the info on. If I see it again, I will let you know."
Source: http://members.ii.net/~lawley/thylacine/anecdotes/index.html
QLD.1989.xx.xx
At or near Roland Park.
"Witness was fencing on a cattle station with another person when they noticed an animal on the edge of the scrub looking at them. It was a medium dog sized animal with a sloped down tail. It was an off-grey color with darker stripes along its back to the tail. It had a long slim tail and stumpy ears. They both looked at it before it wandered off back into the scrub...
...Witness later identified what he and his workmate saw as a Thylacine....At the time both had no idea what sort of animal they were looking at."
QLD.198X.xx.xx #1
Early 1980's, near Mt Fox.
"Witness was driving his truck along at night when crossing the dirt track on the edge of his headlights he saw a brindle, tan animal on 4 legs. He said that he only saw it briefly but remembered that it was high on the shoulders and sloped down towards the tail. The tail was long and slim, and that it may have had stripes but he was not sure due to the brief time he saw and the fact that he actually closed his eyes and looked again because he could not believe what he was looking at. He had never seen an animal like this before and it has bothered him ever since. He has told very few people about this encounter in fear of ridicule...
...He was pretty sure the animal had dark stripes along its back but he cannot be sure...but everything else he described he was sure about... He believes to this day that he saw a Thylacine crossing the dirt road on his property around the Mt Fox area... I have been told of a number of Thylacine sightings in the Mt Fox area over the years."
QLD.198X.xx.xx #2
Early 1980's, Tablelands region.
"Two men were hunting early in the morning up the Palmerston area, walking along a dirt road when about 500metres ahead of them they both spotted an animal. They described it as being about knee height ["theorised it was juvenile"], fawny colored with dark stripes on its back. Both men knew what they were looking at, so one of the men took a shot at it with his rifle and missed. He said the animal leaped across the road in one bound when he fired the gun and disappeared into the bush. No doubt in both men’s mind they saw a Thylacine. One of the men also stated that as a kid marsupial tigers would come round his backyard and steal the chickens out of the coup. It was common knowledge, they were common around 40years ago…"
QLD.198X.xx.xx #3
Mid-1980's, Millaa Millaa.
"I was told on a few occasions about the story of a timber-worker turning up to the Millaa Millaa pub in the mid 1980s after work, with a dead Thylacine in the back of his ute...A number of people came out to look at the animal, then they all went back in the pub..An hour or so later when he went out to leave the dead Thylacine was gone....Despite efforts to find out who took it, it remains a mystery to this day."
QLD.1992.xx.xx #1-3
Sandra Petersen:
"While living at the Sunshine Coast 1992, as a sales rep for Queensland Newspapers Sunday Mil, the 90 years olds at Woombye reported often seeing the thylocene around the Nambour area. They saw it in the trees. As road kill on the highway. One came into the home of Woombye farmer crying sadly as if searching for a lost one. No official reports were made to authorities by these Woombye farmers. and I could find none in my research."
Source: https://www.gofundme.com/eku4u5wc
QLD.1994.6.25
The 'Charleville Lion' film footage. The footage featured on the Killer Instinct with Rob Bredl episode 'Devil's Island'.
QLD.1995.9/10/11.xx
"In the spring of 1995, dentist Lance Mesh and his daughter saw an apparent Thylacine while driving along the southern slopes of the Buderim rain forest in Queensland. At least fifteen sightings were reported in the state in the late 1980s and early 1990s."
Source: Eberhart, George M. (2002). Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. Santa Barbara, California: Abc-Clio Incorporated. [pp. 547-550]
QLD.1995.xx.xx
"This area around Cardwell has had a number of Thylacine sightings over the years, including a carcass of an animal with sandy colored hide and dark stripes along its back being found lying beside the Bruce Hwy back in 1995...The story and the carcass appeared in the local paper at the time...It is said that the carcass was sent of to the Queensland Museum for identification and was never heard of again...Follow-ups efforts were met with either passing the buck or no knowledge of the carcass whatsoever..."
NSW/QLD.1997.11.18
A report made to Naturalist/Cryptozoologist Gary Opit, through his popular Wildlife Talkback radio show. This is Opit's summarisation of the report:
"18th November, 1997, 9 a.m. North Tumbulgum; Hogan’s Rainforest Nature NSW / Qld border, Jan and two other family members observed on their property a striped dog-like animal with a head almost like a kangaroo and stripes continuing onto the long stiff tail. They had previously observed it on two earlier separate occasions and enquiring of the neighbours, were told that all three families on adjoining properties had observed the animal going back at least ten years but had never bothered to report it. They phoned and spoke about their experience on my Wildlife Talkback programme."
Source: http://garyopit.com/64-thylacine-sightings/
QLD.1998.xx.xx
"Thylacine Sighting. Kenilworth Qld, 1998.
Inquiry: DATE:1998
TIME:0200
LOCATION:Obi-Obi Rd, between Mapleton & Kenilworth (QLD)
TERRAIN:Thickly wooded forest
Responding to a life threatening callout, two Ambulance officers from Nambour Ambulance Station headed to the Mountain township of Kenilworth.
The officer relating the story stated they were using the sirens in the forested areas to try to scare of the kangaroos from out of their way.
Upon navigating a corner leading to a staight stretch of the road, an animal the size of an average dog appeared in their high beam and was standing in the middle of the road.
As the Ambulance slowed down, the officers had a good close look at the creature at approximately 50 meters for about 5 to 10 seconds, before it ran into the bush. The officer relating the story stated that the animal was the size of a medium size dog, had a long ridged straight tail that was almost parallel to the ground as it walked and had definite dark stipes in a semi vertical configuation along the side of its body to its rump.
When they arrived back to the station they informed their colleagues that they were convinced they had seen a Tasmanian tiger. Unfortunately, they were laughed at."
QLD.199X.xx.xx
A deceased man named Travis lived in a humpy in the Silver Valley, and would regularly feed a thylacine during the late 1990's:
"Spoke to witness about other related sightings and he added that he knew an old guy named ‘Travis” whom lived in a humpy in the Silver Valley. He lived alone with a few dogs. Witness states that one day he went to visit Travis and found him coming out of the scrub behind his place with some fresh meat, so he asked him what was he doing. Travis said that he was feeding a Tasmanian Tiger that comes round his place once or twice a month. He says that he throws it meat and that his dogs don’t bother it. He then gave witness a brief description of the animal, which witness states was the description of a Tasmanian Tiger/Thylacine.
He said Travis thought it no big deal and that it was a beautiful animal to look at....
Travis has since died...."
QLD.2002.10.xx
Tumoulin State Forest, between Ravenshoe and Atherton.
"A few months later a lady whom they [i.e. pair described below; QLD.2002.11.xx] did not know but had heard of there sighting called them to say she saw a similar animal cross the road in almost the identical place at around 5 in the afternoon in the clear light of day a month earlier than there sighting.
She stated that the animal was a sandy color with dark stripes..basically the same description...she also stated that it had its nose to the ground and pretty well much ignored her as it crossed the road in front of her...she said it seemed to be more fixated by whatever it was smelling..."
QLD.2002.11.xx
Tumoulin State Forest, between Ravenshoe and Atherton, at night.
"Two witnesses were travelling from Atherton to Ravenshoe at night. Just past the Kaban turn-off going right to left across the road they saw a medium dog sized animal. It was a fawn/sandy color, had a long body that sloped downwards towards the rump end. It walked a bit like a lion with a wobble at the back end. It had stripes on its back that were about 2 fingers wide.
It crossed the road and stopped in a small gully beside the road and stopped to look at the witnesses passing by in there car.
Passengers could not believe what they had just seen, both remarked that we just saw a Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).
One witness went back to the area following nights in hope to see it again but no luck.
The following day they contacted Parks and Wildlife and went back to where the sighting occured with a ranger...
...The husband sat out near the area each night for 2 weeks straight with a small flash camera in hope to spotting the animal again"
"Year: 2002
One witness went back to the area on following nights in hope to see it again but with no luck. (Report Credit: Rod Simpson)"
Source: https://yowietracks.com/2020/06/28/encounter-14-thylacine-encounter-on-the-atherton-tablelands/
QLD.2002.xx.xx
Sandra Petersen:
"In 2002 while living at Mt. Gravatt East, a shy striped creature came through the forest to the edge of my property, while it was still dawn. I crept to get my camera. The click of it being turned on made it flash a look at me and then disappear. It was a bit smaller than a middle sized dog.. It was slender"
Source: https://www.gofundme.com/eku4u5wc
QLD.2004.xx.xx
"A couple had moored their yacht in Dalachy Bay and ventured ashore to the beach at night time. Whilst sitting on the beach they observed a medium dog sized animal walking along the beach, less than 100m from where they were sitting. They both state that this animal had dark stripes on its back and was of a lighter sandy color. Though it was night they both had a good look at the animal.
It was a clear moonlit night.
Couple stated this animal was not like any dog they had seen before."
QLD.2005.10.xx
Occured at 5.45 PM. This anecdote is at least third-hand.
"Witness driving along the road when she noticed an animal the size of an Alsatian dog. It was a fawn color with dark stripes along its back. It had small ears, a sloping back and a long slim tail. Witness says it was a Thylacine, no doubt about. Jim and Gwen Mckeg were to have a similar sighting in the same area a month later. Since there sighting all 3 have heard about each others sighting and have spoken on the phone."
QLD.2005.11?.xx
This anecdote (in bold) is at least third-hand.
"Witness driving along the road when she noticed an animal the size of an Alsatian dog. It was a fawn color with dark stripes along its back. It had small ears, a sloping back and a long slim tail. Witness says it was a Thylacine, no doubt about. Jim and Gwen Mckeg were to have a similar sighting in the same area a month later. Since there sighting all 3 have heard about each others sighting and have spoken on the phone."
QLD.2007.xx.xx
Peter Bainbridge
"I saw a striped dog/cat animal walking through my campsite a year ago (2007) at Fairbairn Dam near Emerald, Qld. It didn't look exactly like the pictures I've seen of Tassie Tigers but it's the closes match I've been able to find. What I saw had stripes along its head and had larger triangular 'foxy' ears, but it wasn't a fox. The Queensland Museum assure me that it had to be a fox with mange, but I can't agree."
Source: http://www.tasmanian-tiger.com/guestbook.html
QLD.2014.1.7
Source: http://www.thylacineresearchunit.org/sightingreports.htm
QLD.2016.xx.xx
"The sighting happened in 2016 in central Queensland around 1am travelling in my ute to a Minesite 30km from the township of (township removed by TAGOA) at the time I was not familiar with the animal and it freaked me out a bit and confused me it was galloping ( a weird trot ) in front of my car for like 100m on the road before it turned off in to the bush I didn’t tell to many people as I thought they wouldn’t believe me I started googling animal characteristics for hours to see what it could be and then thought it might of been a huge fox with mage and problems. Or possibly a weird looking dingo but it looked nothing like a regular dingo, Then few years later after coming across the Tasmanian tiger on YouTube and a podcast I’m convinced this is the animal I seen At the time of sighting I didn’t know about their history or even think of them been on main land Australia."
Source: https://www.thylacineawarenessgroupofaustralia.com.au/read-tagoa-witness-sighting-reports.htm
QLD.2017.2.24
"Driving at night on the Flinders highway. Came across an animal that I haven't seen before, neither had my girlfriend. It was trotting across the road in front of us it didn't seem bothered."
Source: http://www.thylacineawarenessgroup.com/sighting/sighting-near-richmond-queensland/
QLD.2017.xx.xx
An anonymous report made to REPAD by a 25-26 year old mine worker (male). He is happy to be contacted to discuss the details of his report (contact me and I'll pass along his details):
"The sighting happened in 2017 in central Queensland around 1am travelling in my ute to a Minesite 30km from the township of Blackwater at the time I was not familiar with the animal and it freaked me out a bit and confused me it was galloping ( a weird trot ) in front of my car for like 100m on the road before it turned off in to the bush I didn’t tell to many people as I thought they wouldn’t believe me I started googling animal characteristics for hours to see what it could be and then thought it might of been a huge fox with mage and problems. Or possibly a weird looking dingo but it looked nothing like a regular dingo, Then few years later after coming across the Tasmanian tiger on YouTube and a podcast I’m convinced this is the animal I seen At the time of sighting I didn’t no about there history or even think of them been on main land Australia."
QLD.XXXX.xx.xx
Gaye Louise Johnson shared her sighting (made with her grandfather) on the "The great serach for the thylacine" Facebook group:
"I had a sighting as a child when I was with my grandfather (SW Qld) on the family farm"
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/37005777558/permalink/10156153653042559/
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