By BRIDGET COOK
AN INDEPENDENT researcher believes the thought to be extinct Tasmania tiger could be living in Casey’s outskirts following a number of reported sightings.
Former Cranbourne South resident Michael Moss wants to hear from anyone who has seen “a striped doglike animal resembling a Tasmanian tiger” in Casey.
Mr Moss, who has had a personal interest in Tamanian tiger (thylacine) since 1995, said there has been numerous alleged sightings in the area over the years.
“There’s been possible sightings in Devon Meadows, Cranbourne South and down that way,” he said.
“The most recent in this area was in January this year along the South Gippsland Highway, before the Warneet turn off.
“It was apparently heading towards Cranbourne at night.
“I’ve visited the Casey area last week to have a look around and the Warneet and Blind Bight is the only area left with lots of dense bushland.
“They’ve got to be coming from somewhere and they’ve got to have some bush area to start a lair somewhere.”
Mr Moss said there had not only been sightings in Casey but also many around Westernport and the Mornington Peninsula.
“There have been 28 alleged sightings in that whole area since the early 1970s,” he said.
“The most recent was last Saturday down the Mornington Peninsula way. I had a guy call me who claimed his father saw it.
“There’s even been sightings in Tooradin over the years.”
Mr Moss believes he got video footage of a Tasmania tiger in 1998, in a paddock near Wilson Promontory but it was in the distance so he could not be sure.
The last living thylacine died in captivity at the Hobart Zoo, Tasmania, in 1936.
Since then there have been many recorded alleged sightings of the thylacine not only in Tasmania, but in rural north Queensland, South Australia and Victoria – but none have even been substantiated.
Mr Moss has a theory about how they got to Australia.
He said between 1910 and 1941 the State Government introduced threatened native species to range in the Wilsons Promontory National Park including wombats, quolls, kangaroos, wallabies, fish and bandicoots.
Mr Moss believes they may have also introduced Tasmania tigers, but kept it quiet so they weren’t hunted.
Mr Moss said he truly believed they are still out there.
“Not in Tamania, but I have no doubt whatsoever they are on mainland Victoria,” he said.
“I’ve seen one myself.
“Scientifically it’s perfectly possible.”
A Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) spokesperson said they received the occasional call from people who think they have seen a Tasmanian tiger.
“Tasmanian tigers did exist in Victoria before European settlement, but are extinct now,” they said.
“What people may have seen is potentially a fox with mange.”
Mr Moss has urged others to join him in his quest to prove that’s the animal still exists.
“Majority of the alleged sightings are people in cars at night,” he said.
“What I’m suggesting is dashboard cameras, that way they can capture what they might see.”
People can report possible sightings to Mr Moss on 0434 904 944.
