In my opinion, yes, it is likely that the Tasmanian tiger is not extinct.

The most significant evidence to back my opinion is what is called the “Adamsfield thylacine”.

Adamsfield is a ghost town in Tasmania - a former mining town. It once had a population of over 1,000 people but today not even a single building still stands. All that is left are the foot-stones where huts once stood and scattered debris - random metal objects, broken crockery and glass, the occasional leather shoe and such.

The nearest township to Adamsfield is Maydena, to the east - but to get there you have to first drive west, to Lake Gordon, then south, to the highway, then east again - a trip of about 1 hour. Alternatively, you could try hiking through the Upper Florentine River valley directly toward Maydena. Just crossing the valley and reaching the highway should take you at least half a day if you’re fast, but more likely longer.

To the west of Adamsfield is nothing but wilderness for about 60 or 70 kilometres - and then you hit the ocean. West of that is actually South America - more than half way around the globe. The south-west corner of Tasmania is really remote.

In the early 1900s the last of the Tasmanian tigers were often snared in the Florentine Valley - which also lies between Adamsfield and Maydena. But what leads me to talk about Adamsfield is an account alleged to have taken place in 1990.

In the briefest version of events, it is said that two hunters were shooting wallaby when they startled a Tasmanian tiger. Not realising what it was, one hunter fired at the animal, killing it. Only after they saw the dead animal did they realise it was a thylacine. It is said that at some point, photographs of the body were taken - including photographs of just portions of the body.

This cropped version of one of the photos shows a measuring ruler being held between the two forepaws of a Tasmanian tiger. You can also see a flesh wound near the right edge of the image.

In the late 1990s two photographs were published - including the one above - showing the feet of what is undoubtedly a thylacine. It was at that time believed that these were of the freshly killed animal - especially in light of the wound on the animal’s foot.

However, in January 2018, after researching this case for almost two years, and with the help of a reader of my website who directed me to a clip filmed in 1997 and published on Youtube in 2015, a new understanding came to light about these two photographs.

In brief, what they actually show is a museum specimen being compared with a third photograph. That third photograph shows…. a foot (!) of what I believe is actually the real thylacine, freshly dead in 1990.

Why do I believe this?

Firstly, the identification of the species: In brief, again, the toes on the foot match the layout of a Tasmanian tiger. They show claws, which excludes a cat. The foot also shows a triangular patch of skin behind the foot pad - this only matches Tasmanian tiger and excludes a cat. The shape of the foot pad also matches Tasmanian tiger. In my opinion more features match Tasmanian tiger than cat or dog, and some features actively exclude cat and dog.

Secondly, I have seen an unpublished high resolution copy of that photograph and in the high resolution copy, you can see gum leaves beside the foot. This photo was photographed “in situ” on the ground, outside (and, as I just said, it is of a Tasmanian tiger).

The composite image above shows the second of the Adamsfield photographs - displayed 3 times. In the centre version I have highlighted the foot in the background print. To be clear - the obvious foreground foot belongs to a museum specimen and it has been laid on top of a photograph. That background photograph shows, I believe, the foot of a Tasmanian tiger lying on the ground, outdoors, with gum leaves nearby. The blue shapes and lines illustrate features on that foot.

The above photographs are compelling enough, but in addition to this we have the testimony of key players involved in this event. We also have an additional twist - in the early 1990s a newspaper editor in Victoria was shown a set of about 8 to 10 photographs that clearly showed a recently shot Tasmanian tiger - including photographs of the full body. While this is still an allegation, and that set of photographs has never been published, it is very notable that the person bearing those photos came from Tasmania (where Adamsfield is) and showed them to the editor in Victoria which… is where the museum specimen is held that was used in the Adamsfield thylacine photographs.

The results of my research into the Adamsfield thylacine are contained in two articles - I will put the links at the end of this answer.

In the second article I call on the Threatened Species Commissioner of Australia, Dr Sally Box, to issue an amnesty on information relating to the survival of Tasmanian tigers into modern times - even if that information or evidence includes the death of a tiger. I hope that by guaranteeing anonymity to anyone submitting information, and indemnity from prosecution, that the persons involved in the events surrounding the Adamsfield thylacine of 1990 might be persuaded to submit their account, or whatever evidence they might have, so that the governing bodies can establish with certainty that the tiger has survived into modern times.

You might like to sign the petition for an amnesty on information relating to Tasmanian tigers.

Remember - if the tiger made it to 1990, that’s 54 years beyond it’s accepted “extinction” date of 1936. If it can manage 54 years without definitive evidence, it can make it another 28 years to today, especially in that remote southwest corner of Tasmania.

The second article - in which the Adamsfield thylacine is identified.

The first article - before we understood the full context of the Adamsfield thylacine photos.

You can also find out more about Tasmanian tigers - including the examination of the evidence for many sighting claims - at my website Where Light Meets Dark or follow along on Facebook Where Light Meets Dark.

I should add - if you know an Angel Investor, I have no shortage of plans for where and how to search for definitive evidence of the thylacine. Get in touch!