The Gifted Four were propped up on a table in the MysticLibrary. Verum placed her magical crystal ball in the middle of the table.
“I have to ask my trusty crystal ball to show me the Tasmanian tiger, right?” Verum prompted, looking at Felix.
“Yes! The remains of the last known Tasmanian tiger have been found in a cupboard of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery recently. Everyone believed them to be lost for 85 years!
It is a big deal because the Tasmanian tiger is labeled as an extinct species. The last tiger of this species died in 1936 when it was held captive at the Hobart Zoo in Australia. Its body was given to a local museum but believed to be lost soon after,” Felix explained.
Verum’s expression became gloomy as she conjured up an image of the Tasmanian tiger on her crystal ball.
“Wait! That doesn’t look like a Tiger at all,” Orak commented, peering into the crystal ball.
“That’s because it’s not a tiger. When it was first spotted, because of the stripes on its back, people assumed it was a tiger and the name stuck. The Tasmanian tiger is actually a marsupial – animals known for carrying around their young in pouches,” Felix said, now smiling a little.
“I see. Why is it extinct,” Scorch asked.
“Tasmanian tiger populations declined because of humans and dingoes (wild or half-domesticated dogs with sandy-colored coats, found in Australia). Eventually, the marsupial was only found on the island of Tasmania, Australia, where it was ultimately hunted to extinction,” Felix answered in a hushed voice.
“That is so sad. I wish there was some way to bring it back,” Verum was now tearing up a little.
Felix brightened up, “Cheer up, Verum. Humans have realized their mistakes. Researchers in Australia and the US are embarking on a multimillion-dollar project to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction.
The team behind the idea said they might be able to bring the first Tasmanian tiger back into the wild 10 years from now with the help of modern technology and science.”
“I hope they manage to recover this beautiful species,” Scorch said, hopefully.