David Pemberton

The tragic story of how ignorance, fear and lack of care led to the disappearance of the famous Tasmanian tiger. This updated edition includes the latest research on whether it could ever be cloned and returned to the wild. Is it still out there? People claim to keep seeing it still. Once the world's largest marsupial predator, the Tasmanian tiger roamed the Australian mainland. Then confined to Tasmania for thousands of years, it was deliberately hunted down by settlers through fear, ignorance and greed. But was it a savage sheep killer or a shy and fussy nocturnal feeder? Did the last tiger die in a Hobart zoo in 1936, or did a few survive in the wild? And did it really drink its victims' blood? A number of Australian species have miraculously reappeared after being labelled as extinct. Perhaps the tiger is still with us. And if it's not, can it really be brought back by cloning and returned to the wild? 'Sweeps us along with wonderful writing as we meet a truly incredible animal that became the centrepiece in an ecological tragedy. Anyone interested in nature and the conservation of the diversity of life should read this story.' - Professor John Seidensticker, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

The remarkable story of the world's largest marsupial carnivore, including its rescue from near extinction through an innovative breeding program. This second edition has been fully updated. At night their shrieks and growls echo through the Tasmanian bush, and they are famous for their ferocious bite and scavenging habits. In fact the Tasmanian devil is quite shy and solitary, and one of Australia's most treasured native animals. This is the story of the world's largest living marsupial carnivore, packed with information that has either never been published or is found only in scientific publications. Until 3000 years ago, the devil lived in the great eastern forests on mainland Australia. Now confined to Tasmania, it was ravaged by a facial tumour disease that threatened its existence. Tasmanian Devil recounts the fascinating story of its rescue from the brink. 'A superbly readable account of this bizarre marsupial.' - New York Sun 'The intriguing story of its Hollywood connections makes for excellent reading, and the book reveals the true nature of this misunderstood creature.' - New Scientist

This is the first book published on the animal that has the distinction of being the world's largest marsupial carnivore, and it is packed with information that has never before been accessible to the general reader. The story of the Tasmanian devil is a remarkable one - surprising, controversial, funny, and tragic. Few mammals have been so negatively named, but this book aims to reveal the true nature of the Tasmanian devil. Far from being a scavenging, ferocious oddity, it is a treasured and valuable wildlife species, and one that faces the threat of extinction. It was in 1803 that a boatload of convicts, English officers and sailors gave the Tasmanian devil its name. Now, for the first time since Europeans first encountered this intriguing and misunderstood animal, the devil's story is being told.