"Reviving an Animal Extinct Since 1936"… Tasmanian Tiger Restoration Effort Underway After 86 Years

Black Tiger with Stripes Officially Extinct Since 1936
Research Team "Restoring by Harvesting Stem Cells from Marsupial Species with Similar DNA"

The Tasmanian tiger is a feline mammal with a wolf-like appearance and black stripes. This tiger was officially declared extinct in 1936 when the last individual, "Benjamin," died. Photo by BBC

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] A project to revive the 'Tasmanian Tiger,' which went extinct about 90 years ago, is underway.

On the 16th (local time), foreign media such as CNN in the United States and BBC in the United Kingdom reported that researchers from Australia and the United States are jointly conducting experiments to revive the Tasmanian Tiger.

The Tasmanian Tiger, resembling a wolf with black stripes, inhabited Tasmania Island in Australia and is also called the 'Thylacine.' This species was officially declared extinct when the last individual, 'Benjamin,' died in 1936.

The research team plans to restore it using gene editing technology by harvesting stem cells from marsupial species with similar DNA.

Professor Andrew Pask of the University of Melbourne, Australia, who is leading the research, stated, "We plan to selectively restore missing parts of the Thylacine genome using the representative gene-editing technology 'CRISPR-Cas9,' which cuts and edits specific DNA regions." He added, "We expect to see a living Tasmanian Tiger, extinct for nearly a century, within 10 years."

However, there are also skeptical views regarding the restoration of the Tasmanian Tiger. Associate Professor Jeremy Austin of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA pointed out, "Restoring extinct animals is like a fairy tale science," and criticized, "Restoration projects are for media attention rather than serious science."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.