Carnivorous Nights_ On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger - Margaret Mittelbach [71]
The three tiger hunters logged thousands of miles following up on sightings and tracking the bush. But with no compelling physical evidence and the debunking of some of the best-known sightings, Jeremy and Bob eventually lost heart. In a fifteen-page report on the results of the search written in December 1972, Jeremy Griffith came to the conclusion that the tiger was extinct—though he encouraged Tasmanians to continue to report any sightings. In a three-page addendum, Bob Brown advocated that the tiger be classified as extinct. He concluded, “If a live thylacine were found at some future date the event, while joyous, would be remarkable.”
James's contribution to the report was short and unambiguous. It read:
REPORT BY JAMES MALLEY:
After spending 3 of the past 12 years in the field in the actual pursuit of evidence for the existence of the Tiger I remain convinced it is not extinct.
The only evidence I can produce to back this claim is 20 photographs of indistinct footprints found after the sighting of a Tiger at Beulah in May 1971. These tracks were definitely those of a Tiger. However they were not distinct enough for anyone who was not thoroughly familiar with animal pads to recognize as such.
A plaster cast taken at Mawbanna in August 1961 is definitely that of a Tiger.
In recent years many clear sightings have been made by people whom I know personally. I have no doubt of any sort in their sincerity and honesty. The majority of recent sightings have been made in three areas of the State—the central East Coast, the northern part of the Arthur River Basin, and the northern edge of the Central Plateau.
The Tiger can be saved if the right policy and an attitude taken in its best interest is adopted for these areas.
In conclusion, I offer any future assistance I can give that might be helpful in ensuring this animal's survival.
JAMES F. MALLEY
TROWUTTA
After publishing their report, the three tiger hunters went in different directions. James continued to search for the thylacine. But he also went on to become a prosperous farmer, branching out from dairy cows into peas, potatoes, and even opium poppies. (“It was good money,” he said.) He also worked in real estate and had staked a claim on an opal mine on the mainland. He had recently enrolled his daughter, Bronwyn, in a correspondence course to learn how to cut opals. When we visited, James was in the process of renovating his house. He showed us that his fireplace was made from “convict bricks,” each one with the thumbprint of the man who made it while serving out his sentence. “I've done a lot in my life,” James said. “The only thing that could make me happier would be to see a tiger.”
Jeremy and Bob also continued to make names for themselves and stir up controversy. Jeremy finished his university degree and later founded a philosophical society called the Foundation for Humanity's Adulthood and wrote several books, including A Species in Denial and Beyond the Human Condition. Jeremy was the subject of a critical documentary titled The Prophet of Oz on the Australian news show Four Corners, and he later successfully sued the television network for defaming him. Bob Brown went on to become a senator, the first Green Party member elected to the Australian Senate, as well as the first openly gay member of Parliament.
“Did you vote for him?” we asked.
James looked slightly shocked. “Oh, I'm a conservationist, but I would never vote Green,” he said. Bob Brown had been the best man at his wedding—but politics were politics.
James, of course, was the only member of the expedition who remained a believer. “There's no doubt, the tigers are there,” he told us. “It's just a matter of finding