Tasmanian Tiger Colouring

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus, was a carnivorous marsupial rather than a cat or dog. It once ranged across mainland Australia and New Guinea, but by European settlement it survived only in Tasmania, Australia. Adults were roughly dog-sized, with a long stiff tail, short rounded ears and a slim body. Dark bands crossed the back half and rump, creating the tiger nickname. Both sexes had pouches, an unusual feature: females protected their young, while the male pouch covered reproductive organs. Thylacines probably hunted smaller animals such as bandicoots and birds. Historical captive records suggest they could live for several years, but a reliable wild lifespan was never measured. Settlers wrongly treated thylacines as major sheep killers, and government bounty programmes encouraged trapping and shooting. Habitat clearing, loss of prey and possibly disease added pressure. The last confirmed wild thylacine was shot in north-west Tasmania in 1930. The final known captive died at Hobart's Beaumaris Zoo on 7 September 1936, only weeks after legal protection began. It is popularly called Benjamin, but surviving zoo records do not prove that was its name, and later research has even questioned the animal's traditionally reported sex. Many later sightings have been claimed, yet none has provided accepted evidence that the species survived. Colour this thylacine with sandy tan, warm ochre, cinnamon or grey-brown. Use dark chocolate or black-brown for the clear stripes, keeping a small gap between each band. The belly and muzzle can be cream, the nose charcoal and the inner ears pale pink-brown. Colour the button grass straw, olive and yellow-green, the eucalyptus leaves muted green, and the distant rocks grey or purple. Use smooth strokes along the stiff tail and body, then short strokes around the cheeks. Count the stripes as you work and keep their edges neat. Leave the sky pale blue or mostly white so the unusual silhouette stands out. The page can become a gentle reminder that wildlife protection must begin before only one animal remains.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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