Behind the causes of the extinction of the iconic Tasmanian tiger, are the actions of man. This species went extinct nearly a century ago, and the only remnants we have of it are blurry black and white images. Her beauty could not be admired by the men of the present. For this reason and in commemoration of the death of Benjamin, the last known Tasmanian tiger, experts have given themselves the task of coloring a video of him and now for the first time we can see the tiger in full color.
Benjamin, the last specimen of his species
The Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), also known as the marsupial wolf or thylacine, became extinct in 1936 with the death of Benjamin, the last known specimen. The causes behind their extinction are not alien to us, in fact, they continue to be repeated with other species. Thousands of thylacines were killed by English settlers in Australia and Tasmania to prevent them from hunting their sheep. In this way, the species was pushed to the limit until it finally became extinct.
Image: Benjamin
Sadly this pattern continues to be repeated with other species. The clear example of this is the gray wolf and the Mexican wolf, which are in danger of extinction. Despite the fact that the efforts to recover the health of their populations have been great, there is a controversy with the ranchers who have invaded the habitat of the wolves and used to hunt them to prevent them from devouring the cattle. The same story as with the Tasmanian tiger, only this time we are in time to prevent its extinction.
A footage to ponder
The National Film and South Archive has released the images to commemorate National Endangered Species Day and as a reminder of the deep footprint humanity is capable of leaving on nature. Samuel François-Steininger of Composite Films was commissioned to transform the video images of Benjamin, the last known Tasmanian tiger, into full color footage. For the first time we can observe a specimen of the species in a high quality video and appreciate the colors of its fur.
François-Steininger was based on the original film by naturalist David Fleay, recorded at Beaumaris Zoo, Hobart in December 1933. To color Benjamin, François relied on skins kept in museums, sketches and paintings, as there are no photographs. in color of the species. Taking care of every detail, he was finally able to color and bring Benjamin into a world of different shades.
See for the first time a Tasmanian tiger in color, footage that makes us reflect on the power that man possesses to change the course of nature. Just as there are stories of extinction, we also have the power to restore natural harmony and recover threatened species.
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