.
"Three native tigers' heads were passed for the Government grant of £1
per head, the tigers having been secured by John Smith, 'alias' "Jack,
the hunter," at Boomers Bottom on the Connorville estate, Lake river.
Smith states that he has killed about 130 during his 30 years residence
on the estate".
|
Launceston
Examiner, 9th February 1897 (p. 5).
|
.
.
| Two
images of a dead thylacine that was either shot or snared, and then intentionally
posed in a curled posture for photography, which has misled many observers
to assume that this animal is merely resting. The origin and date
of the two photos is unknown. |
.
"A native tiger's
head sent by John Smith of Connorville was passed by the Warden for the
Government reward of £1 and ordered to be cremated".
|
The Tasmanian,
27th August 1892 (p. 30).
|
"One day last week
Mr. C. Williams' well known kangaroo-dog, Victor, killed a large native
tiger or hyena on the South Downs, about twenty five miles from here, and
Mr. Williams sent the head up to Mr. G. Anderson at Circular Head, so as
to get the usual reward from Government".
|
Launceston
Examiner, 24th October 1890 (p. 4).
|
"A native tiger's
head, from Parknook, was passed by the Warden as correct, James Hayes being
entitled to the Government grant of £1 for the capture thereof".
|
Launceston
Examiner, 30th September 1891 (p. 2).
|
Further bounty payments
to James Hayes from the Parknook estate are recorded in the Launceston
Examiner of the 2nd August 1888 (p. 3): |
.
| "The heads of three
full grown native tigers were brought to the Police Court yesterday by
James Hayes, an employee at Parknook estate, Lake River, who in accordance
with the regulations |
| recently issued
by the Government, will be entitled to a reward of £3, or £1
per head, the Warden having 'examined and found them correct'. Readers
will kindly observe that none of the Longford tigers have yet been decapitated".
On the 16th September
1864 (p. 4), the Argus newspaper published a story extolling the handsome
profit to be made from the killing of "tigers" at the Van Diemen's Land
Company's Woolnorth sheep station on the North West coast of Tasmania:
"Tiger hunting in
Tasmania appears to be a profitable sporting occupation. The Cornwall
Chronicle states that Mr. Lawrence Quinn, who is employed by Dr. Grant,
at a fixed salary and £3 per skin, to protect the Woolnorth flocks
from the ravages of the native tiger, lately brought up ten skins, thus
netting £30, in addition to his regular pay. The tiger is a
most destructive foe to sheep; its appearance disperses a flock in various
directions. Though not very swift, it is untiring in its pursuit,
and invariably follows its victim until it secures it. The tiger
it such an epicure that it turns up its nose at cold mutton, and declines
to dine more than once off a sheep, as long as he can secure another from
the flock. The extent of havoc that ten of these blood-thirsty animals
would consequently make in the Woolnorth flock in a year would be a serious
item to deduct from the profits of the station". |
.
.
| The
skins of thylacines were often stretched out and nailed to trees, fences
or the sides of buildings to dry. A number of such skins have survived
to the present-day, primarily in museum collections. Such specimens
of course are of immense scientific value and must be carefully preserved.
At the same time, they are grim reminders of the terrible slaughter that
has taken place. |
|
|
|
. |
