About
the Thylacine Museum - A Statement from the Curator
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| The Thylacine
Museum - A Natural History of the Tasmanian Tiger is a detailed
and comprehensive compilation of information about a truly remarkable marsupial
- the thylacine or Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus).
The thylacine is a species for which I have spent much of my life gathering
literature and other material related to its study, and one for which I
have the greatest respect. Marsupials have always been among my primary
interests, and the thylacine especially so. |
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| Natural
historian Cameron Campbell, curator of the Thylacine Museum, with the skull
of a large male thylacine. |
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I am pleased
to present the revised and greatly expanded fifth edition of the website.
The Thylacine Museum first went online in November 1999, being an early
pioneer amongst natural history websites. Now into its fifth revision,
the site has expanded beyond all recognition from those early, tentative
steps in the 1990s. One of the guiding principles in the development
of the museum was that its content should be fully referenced, just as
would be the case in a scientific paper. This exacting level of verification
has ensured that visitors to the site can be confident in what they read. |
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| The fifth revision
of the museum has been extensively revised and enlarged, and includes four
completely new subsections: The Collectors, The Specimens,
a historical account of the life of James Harrison - Tasmania's
premier dealer in wild animals, and a discussion of Frank Haes'
1864 image of a thylacine at the London Zoo - the earliest known photograph
of a thylacine. |
"The Thylacine
Museum is a world-class educational resource and the most comprehensive
source of information on the thylacine or Tasmanian tiger available anywhere
on the web, or for that matter, in any conventional museum display.
The latest revision of the site brings together current expert opinion
from many disciplines, and this, combined with its many interactive features,
will ensure that the site appeals to both the amateur naturalist and academic
alike".
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Dr. Stephen
Sleightholme
Project Director
International Thylacine
Specimen Database Project
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| The Thylacine
Museum is a non-profit educational resource committed to increasing public
awareness and understanding of a unique marsupial that through man's thoughtless
actions, has sustained irreversible damage. My hope is that its story
will encourage others to help conserve our world's priceless biodiversity.
I wish to extend my
appreciation to all of the researchers, authors,
photographers, and artists throughout time who through their works
have either directly or indirectly made the existence of this museum possible.
"The Thylacine
Museum is a detailed and well presented site that allows a far greater
reach in the age of the internet to present accurate information on the
species to a much wider audience. We may possibly be witnessing the
future of natural history presentation, as sites like this offer many advantages
over traditional museum displays".
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Professor Heinz
Moeller
December 2004
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| The
curator in rural New South Wales. |
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| I am frequently asked
whether or not I believe that the thylacine still exists. I have
made an extensive review of the secondary evidence that has appeared over
the past several decades, and concluded that the species quite likely does
still survive, albeit in critically low numbers. Therefore, the Thylacine
Museum has been written from the point of view that the thylacine is still
extant.
As is the case with many other endangered species, the ongoing destruction
of its habitat is undoubtedly the single greatest threat that the thylacine
faces.
Optimism for the future
of the thylacine lies in concern for its needs. If we can set aside
natural areas for it, it stands a fighting chance of survival. With
knowledge, skill, and a responsible attitude, we can make certain that
there will always be a place in this world for the thylacine. |
Cameron R. Campbell
Founder and Curator
The Thylacine Museum
e-mail |
