In 1936, the last of the Tasmanian Tigers — wolf-like mammals that were over-hunted by European settlers — died in a zoo, rendering the species extinct.
Or did it?
According to German tourists Klaus Emmerichs and Birgit Jansen, the answer is no. The two claim to have captured digital photos of the tiger while on vacation in 2005. But after initial speculation by experts that the photos were real, further investigation led to accusations that the pictures had been manufactured.
Emmerich recently returned to Tasmania in an attempt to video the animal, and clear his name. “I want to prove that it is not extinct, like the people think and the world thinks,” he said.
Proof that the animal exists is a sort of holy grail for mystery hunters — with unconfirmed sightings re-igniting the fervor year after year.
No word on whether or not Emmerich got what he was after.