I’ve been fascinated by the story of the Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine). Despite the last known one dying in 1936 sightings have persisted.
How likely is it that the species might still survive in Tasmania? Specifically I’m thinking that the island must be riddled with motion activated cameras (is it?) and it would be impossible for a Thylacine to have avoided these for this long.
Tasmania is about the size of the Willamette Valley, where I live. That is to say, it’s not very big. The chance of Thylacine survival is about as close to zero as it can get without being ruled out absolutely. Even if a few survive, it’s not likely enough to start a population. I would love it to not be so, but I think they’re gone forever. The destruction of unique species in Australia and New Zealand is one of the great ecological disasters of modern times. 
They’re hanging with the Great Auks and Ivory Billed Woodpeckers. 
Seriously, if they were around you’d be able to find some remains that were current.
I think the key to tiger sightings is that eyewitness testimony ranks just slightly above “a friend of a friend said that…” in reliability. People can be honestly mistaken about what they see. They can be honestly mistaken about what they remember. And they can be intentionally deceptive.
In regards to photographic evidence: nothing is conclusive. Even if some of the older video and photos are legitimate tiger sightings, they’re not proof of a current population. They may be proof that tigers went extinct in the 70’s rather than the 30’s. That would be interesting to know, but not particularly helpful today.
If you’re interested in the Tasmanian Tiger, there’s a book called Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger that you may enjoy. The book’s authors go through Tasmania looking for evidence, and ultimately come to the same conclusion as the posters above. It’s an interesting trek, though.
The answer is certainly no. In order for them to have survived a small breeding population needs to exist, and there is no evidence of that. One or two individuals can’t maintain a viable population.
The closest I came to seeing a Tassie Tiger was in Sheffield at “The Tiger’s Tale”, a homespun roadside attraction that featured an animatronic Tiger and a talking chicken. Sadly it’s been torn down and replaced with what appears to be a Bed & Breakfast.
Given the short time they’ve been extinct, and the number of surviving samples, how likely is it they will be brought back at some point? Assuming a billionaire like Branson or someone decides they want a few on their own island…
It is just the sniffles, really, I’m fine 
If I’m not mistaken, there is enough “soft” evidence for the survival of the Ivorybill in both Cuba and one of the Southern states that it’s no longer classed as “definitely extinct” but the next level up. Colibri? Can you confirm or correct, and expand on this?
captures with butterfly net
Well the wildlife people have failed to sight even one fox on the island and we know their present but its a real stretch to believe a tassy tiger would be out there.
I don’t believe they were hunted out rather distemper like disease killed what was left, if any survived the practices of the forestry department poisoning wildlife so as to protect their precious tree seedling wouldn’t of helped any that by some miracle made it though to modern times.
Oh, well done. <small applause>
Good choice of tools. <small applesause>
How clever since Tasmania is The Apple Isle.
Well it’s arguable. The very fact that there have been no sightings despite c oncerted campaign using humans, dogs, cameras, traps, baits and pheromones is pretty strong evidence that there are no foxes. You have to realise that every time someone even vaguely credible claims they have seen a fox a team of hunters go out looking for it and try to trap it or, failing that, poison it. Yet there has never been a single animal found in that way.
There is no doubt that foxes get introduced on a regular basis, but there is no evidence that any of them have lived long enough to breed.
True, but so have sightings of Bigfoot, with equal validity. The only difference is the tiger is known to have existed, Bigfoot, not.
They are hanging out in Louisiana and Arkansas because it is reasonably certain there are some Ivory Billed Woodpeckers still around like Polycarp said. I don’t know about Tasmanian Tigers but some creatures have become ‘unexinct’ and Ivory Billed Woodpeckers are a promising possible example of that.
When you say “surviving samples” do you mean living animals or tissue (for cloning)? If the former, then it’s best to assume there are none, and the billionaire thing ain’t gonna happen. If the latter, we have yet to clone an extinct mammal, so it’s hard to say if or when it will happen.
nvm redundant
Given the number of sightings and the intense level of scrutiny, sadly the Ivory Bill is, at best “only mostly extinct.” They simply cannot have the numbers necessary to support a growing population. For all that the great majority of birders are knowledgeable and scrupulous about interfering, nesting and mating among birds is extremely easy to disturb.
Tris