A natural history collector in the United Kingdom has acquired what he describes as the "holy grail" of taxidermy—a preserved head identified as belonging to an extinct Tasmanian Tiger, or thylacine. The artifact, initially mistaken for a fox head, was purchased for $85,000 at an auction.
James Cranfield, a dealer in natural history relics, spotted the item listed online as a "19th-century fox head." Intrigued by its unusual appearance, he traveled to the Auctioneum in Bristol to examine it more closely. Upon inspection, Cranfield realized the specimen was not a fox but bore a strong resemblance to a thylacine, a carnivorous marsupial that once roamed Australia and Papua New Guinea.
A key distinguishing feature, Cranfield noted, was the presence of eight upper incisors, compared to a fox's six. This observation, coupled with further examination, led him to believe he had found a thylacine head.
The thylacine was a distinctive predator, often described as resembling a large dog with stripes on its back. By the time European settlers arrived, its habitat had shrunk to the island of Tasmania. Hunting, disease, and habitat loss eventually led to its extinction, with the last known thylacine dying in captivity in 1936.
After winning the artifact in a bidding war for $85,000, plus over $13,500 in fees, Cranfield subjected the specimen to X-ray and CT scans. These analyses confirmed the head was a genuine thylacine, revealing a pristine skull within the mount. He had initially bought the item for around $67 at a county fair, with the previous owner amused by its "googly eyes and cartoonish smile."
Andrew Stowe of Auctioneum expressed surprise at the find, noting the rarity of such complete specimens. According to the International Thylacine Specimen Database, there are approximately 815 thylacine specimens recorded, but many are fragmented, and only one other head is known to exist, though its whereabouts are uncertain.
Cranfield plans to use the specimen for scientific and educational purposes, making it available for study by academics and institutions to learn more about the extinct predator. "It will be invaluable to science," he stated.