Tasmanian Tiger Caught on Camera? (New 2024)

[@ForrestGalante]

What do you all think? Is this legit or a hoax?

[@aashishd9453]

hoax

[@BeckyM87]

I'm torn on this one. So much for and against it. Best of luck and I really, really hope it's legit!

[@lian3101]

Really hoping this is real but I just don't want to believe anything before experts have a look at the pictures.

[@marinodejesus8024]

Looked legit until that last picture.

[@kitchkitch-my7uo]

i think he created AI photos

[@robertm627]

I bet some random dude has a perfect picture of a thylacine that they think is just a wierd dog

[@Vizus160]

Lol yea

[@basilfabian05]

Once its actually found and appears on the news, people gonna start sharing more pics of their weird dogs 😂

[@ericcaloosa371]

There are people who are probably aware of them but keep it a secret. Shit if it was in my backyard, I would too. Humans are destructive by nature.

[@chriscocking3140]

It's very hard to believe tbh

[@BillCoz]

@@basilfabian05 People have already painted their dogs to look like thylacine.

[@flimsycoyote8163]

Y’all remember like 5 years ago when people would say “pics or it didn’t happen” and now most photos are fake

[@igotwect3174]

then we needed videos and those can’t be trusted anymore either 😭

[@thedude5901]

Pics or it didn’t happen is easily 10+ years

[@1972dsrai]

We’re now in an age where nothing can be taken for granted knowing how easy it is to manipulate images. I would have preferred he’d filmed it, but the images do look legit tbf. He sounds genuine and someone who just wanted to share what he’d captured, but just doesn’t want the attention. I can accept that, he could just be a very private guy.

[@ahastar1141]

We have phones taking 4k tick tok videos, but most seemingly meaningful photos and videos of big scientific breakthroughs look like they were taken with a potato

[@donaldferguson3773]

Get of ya bum and take you box brownie down to the park and picture something.​@@ahastar1141

[@obiwanjabroniX]

Don't understand why wanting to remain anonymous is an issue. The internet is a fucked up place

[@obiwanjabroniX]

I mean weird but also can't be judging someone who doesn't want to be on the internet

[@johnh5760]

Gotta agree with this but at the same time this guy seems really sketchy

[@obiwanjabroniX]

@@johnh5760 yea can't disagree with that

[@mansquatch73]

It's his buddy so his face is not important.

[@jeremysiron9622]

I had the same thought, it can equally be perceived as a red flag if someone wants internet fame for the photos…I’m still watching the video, but that was my initial thought….

[@horrortour]

My ass would have caught it and brought it to a vet and been like, "I HAVE A THYLACINE AND I NEED YOU TO FIX IT" Lmao

[@michaelblack1864]

😂

[@fuzyfuzfuz2]

Yeah and the reason why he DIDNT is because its a puppet 😂😂😂

[@Islandahs]

I think he's scared to say that they hit it with the car, which for me explains why it was laying down and they wanting to take it to a vet and "rescue it"except when they got too close it ran away

[@Lebum-wl9lt]

Trueee

[@mistakemcgee2807]

ooh interesting theory

[@danielleclark-zack864]

That could really explain all the awkwardness, interesting thought.

[@johnwright2755]

Good thought

[@nickhughes9566]

Great deduction Watson!!

[@themeparkpigeon]

Forrest, I really think this father,son duo hit the Tasmanian Tiger because he said there were no other cars on the road for like a hundred miles. Also, the Tasmanian Tiger would not be laying on it's side in the grass in that position if it had not just been hit. I think the only way he got photos of it at all was because the animal was dazed from being hit because tigers are very elusive You heard him say the total encounter was about 30 seconds. Why would they automatically want to call a vet if they had not hit it. I believe the young man and his dad think they will be criticized for hitting the creature. Also, his personality is not unusual for todays youth. Thank you Forrest for sharing this story.

[@BrendanAngadiya]

That perosnality is not common for today's youth man, Im sorry 😂

[@jessiesalisbury7044]

Hi, You need to give this young man the behifit of the doubt. I don't believe it was hit but rather it was eating road kill.

[@SJD326]

@@BrendanAngadiyait actually is. People under 21 are literally more stupid then the last couple generations bc they are raised on screens

[@Predatorfishaddict]

@@jessiesalisbury7044what on the floor lying down

[@theajpeezy13]

Well said

[@mikew.762]

Can you imagine if they brought a Thylacine into a Vet.😂

[@shapeshifter8778]

That vet would be NUTS. So many questions

[@billiam6071]

Yea haha what would the vet even say

[@Angelwrites]

“Can you chip my dog” 😂

[@slipnsldnaway]

Or made it their pet lol

[@RealBadDaddy]

That would have been LEGENDARY!

[@pekinbikeguy]

My biggest question mark is that he said it was half on the tarmac, but in the picture of it laying down it is completely in the grass

[@rowena9855]

No look closer the tail end was on the road looks like shadow but it’s road. He also stated that he was standing about 15 ft from it on the road which lines up with the angles. Other photos it was fully in grass

[@jblb9656]

and he also said he saw blood and i didnt saw any blood

[@levihancox1996]

Your not gonna see that in a grainy photo ​@jblb9656

[@tinamarie7568]

I think he was nervous and trying to give answer even if he wasn't sure. Instead of saying I don't remember he assumed it's position because they probably tapped it with the car

[@smcesq_]

Was probably half on the tarmac when they hit it and before it went flying off the road and into the grass.

[@robertjohnston8541]

You can be fishing in the same spot for days without catching anything, and suddenly a kid comes along and catches a fish on his first try. That's life.

[@andrews278]

Beginners luck. my uncle plays his numbers every day and wins about as much as everyone else that does that, he told me if i go and play once ill win. i did and i won 200, never played again lol

[@Orangutan_Stella]

​@@andrews278same what happened to me except I won twice and never ever again after 🙃😂

[@Nuklz1981]

He stumbled a lot. He paused before he answered an aweful lot, but I tend to think everyone is a liar, but thats my past influencing my feelings.

[@Nuklz1981]

The picture that you thought was bad looks like one of the images of one of the last Thyllacines in captivity. I remember that I couldnt believe how wide it could open its mouth, amd that one pic shows the exact same thing that freaked me out years ago.

[@ThePointlessBox_]

the theory that they accidentally hit the animal with the car is interesting. explains why he's so restrained and akward about it

[@keithdeal209]

I don’t think he said they hit it.

[@ThePointlessBox_]

@@keithdeal209 im saying he doesnt want to admit he hit it, thats why hes so reserved and awkward about it. It would explain why the animal let them get so close, and it would explain him saying they thought about calling a vet

[@JJ-zr6fu]

Yeah I’m not buying they randomly saw something in the grass at night and stopped everything to look at it

[@z-zone1786]

Imagine if you hit the meybe last one of a so caled extinct animal. The hate would be way to much

[@barbarusbloodshed6347]

That would be one explanation for his behaviour. But I think more likely is that it's a hoax, the pics seem AI-generated. If you look at them there are lots of similarities with pics of Thylacines you find when you use Google. That's how that works, the AI takes the information from the available pictures and smashes them together to create new pics. So not only would it use the actual old photos of Thylacines, it would also use the illustrations and kids drawings you find in a Google search as a basis. And that's how you end up with weird anatomy and jaws that don't seem to work right.

[@cryoking7303]

As a Tasmanian, theres one major inconsistency ive noticed. The grass is way too green for the area the photo was taken. For the past few months it hasnt been raining much, so the grass is quite yellow/gold at the moment. The area I'm in is the "tropics" of tassie and its still fairly yellow at the moment. Ita mainly yellow/gold from the northwest to far below hobart. The entire southern midlands is yellow. Thats the main issue ive noticed.

[@wewantmoreboomboom8313]

​@@whitefeather731it was start of fall

[@craigslater8227]

And going back to Darwin to fly home? 😂

[@rkshn]

modern phones tend to over saturate images in night time photography, that could be the case here.

[@cryoking7303]

Whitefeather, it's "fall" down here ATM, known as Autumn in Aus at least. So it's gonna be yellow grass, cold, windy and horror. Craig, yeah nah the Darwin thing was a massive oversight on his part. Just to get anywhere else from Taz, you need to stop off on the mainland at least once (from memory).

[@XDef1ant]

​@@whitefeather731different seasons in different parts of the world. Some people have Christmas in summer.

[@jasonpettis4691]

You would think this guy was being interviewed by Chris Hansen rather than Forrest.

[@nahunting]

Dude found an animal extinct for 80 years and doesn’t have an ounce of excitement

[@jacobmamiye]

That’s the biggest red flag of all

[@sdqsdq6274]

why not , i mean the animal just look like a dog , nothing crazy , but it does have massive meaning of human conflict with animals

[@ukley___]

Because he's shitting out his mouth. Idk abt yall but I think this is fake and he's just some goofball trying to get attention

[@nahunting]

@@ukley___ ya agreed

[@VinsUplifting]

Some people have known for years they aren't extinct.

[@alexanderdudley3249]

As an ecologist, wildlife surveyor and someone who has spent a lot of time in Tassie I would say put the original photos on a google drive so people can see the metadata (although that can be manipulated). There are no direct international flights from the USA to Tassie. Anyone who goes to Tassie is confronted with images of Thylacines EVERYWHERE- it's the government logo, it's on beer bottles, it's used in advertising widely. The journey from Hobart to Stowport would take many hours, especially at night when there are animals all over the roads, including wombats which you DON'T want to hit, it's literally not safe to drive over 80km/h at night in Tasmania. There are bucketloads of camera traps deployed all over the place in Tassie for wildlife monitoring, Thylacine fanatics and farm security and NONE of these have picked up convincing images of Thylacines. I think it's likely that Thylacines persisted in Tassie until the 1970s, (after speaking to people in aged care who had seen them) but they were a creature of the open woodlands, not the dense forests. No road kill, none shot, none on quality camera traps. I call this a hoax, sadly.

[@dylanmccallister1888]

AI generated image probably or altered

[@fansspad2594]

Agreed

[@EdmundSampson-pd7vi]

I tend to agree sadly. In a time where areas are more heavily populated and everybody has a camera....

[@Dabber422]

I was thinking the same thing. No way there is a direct international flight from USA to Tassie..,

[@MattBacon-k3c]

He was on the mainland you clownfish. Northern Territory.

[@tsmith8845]

The Thylacine has been my heart animal since I was 8 years old in 1970. My first school report was on the Thylacine. My teacher had vacationed in Australia and she told us about the Hobart Zoo. Back then the research was with encyclopedias, no internet so looking up the zoo led from one thing led to another and I discovered that amazing animal. The story of the last one is a heartbreaker. I have been watching and waiting for legitimate sightings all of my life. Recently when I heard that science was trying to bring it back from extinction, I was so excited. I haven't seen any recent developments lately though. I hope and pray that someday soon the thylacine will be found or brought back to walk the earth again. I am old and would die happy if I could just see it alive before I go.

[@indo1354]

there is a good chance that at least Thylacine can be brought back. Many genetic organizations have Thylacine DNA that they want to use to clone the Thylacine. So, there is a good chance you will at least see a video of one in your life time.

[@matwind]

Thank You for your summary. Reading your thoughts resignated in me. I still have the weekly reader article of the tasmanian devel from back in the 70's. I was the same kid that you speak of.

[@josephblanchard6248]

They are still around. There's random evidence online besides this.

[@tsmith8845]

@@josephblanchard6248 I won't be sure until I see it on international news, grainy YT videos are not evidence. 60 minutes Australia I would trust.

[@eilenekellogg-ki2br]

Its a shame they were demonized by the sheep farmers. Then politics kicked in . Hunters were offered a sum of money to hunt them down, hence their destination. They have are at present time doing the same with the wolf by cattle farmers.

[@vettestyle6248]

I like him. He is an awkward dude. "Not photogenic" is relatable.. Not elephant man level, but some dorky kid who went on a trip with his distant father and wasnt an expert on geography or photography and Photoshop. Does a Google image search, find any of these exact photos match? Full support and respect. Thank you Forest for truly making a difference.

[@Ududneidkcn]

THERE ARE NO NON-STOP FLIGHTS FROM ANYWHERE IN THE USA TO HOBART!! As an aussie who flies back and forth regularly, everyone knows you have to fly into Melbourne or Sydney first before flying onto Tasmania.

[@chriswhybz790]

100%. On top of that the only international flights in or out of Hobart are to New Zealand. Hobart Airport is also not somewhere you could sleep the night given it closes at 10:30pm....

[@28russ]

Yeah, I just commented that and that I can't see Darwin being involved anywhere in that.

[@ChromaKeyMystress]

You're wrong. You may want to look at more than one travel website to try to prove your point. I just found a direct flight, no layovers, from JFK to Hobart on Air New Zealand for 10K$. Also found one on Qantas for 14K$. Both trips will take 22 and 26 hours respectively.

[@Ududneidkcn]

​@@ChromaKeyMystress I am honestly not trying to put you down - I just don't want this misinformation to spread!! Firstly, Platinum Qantas member here with priority booking - just checked with customer service and there are NO DIRECT FLIGHTS from JFK to Hobart. I don't know why I even bothered because being Australian and a frequent flyer, the thought of a commercial flight directly from the east coast of USA to Hobart is just about the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard. I'm assuming you are not Aussie. Any well travelled Aussie would scoff at the thought, especially if you knew what Hobart's airport is like. Secondly and the funniest part is - do you honestly think there are commercial airlines offering 26 hour flights 😂😂😂😂😂😂 let alone 22 hour flights 😂😂😂😂 you obviously haven't done many long hauls. 😂😂😂 The longest commercial passenger flight in history is around 18 hours from New York to Singapore. And that flight is business/first class only. The longest non-stop flight that Qantas offers is Melbourne to Dallas, which is around 17 hours!!!! I love the "check other websites first" comment. I don't need to - I've checked with the concierge for private member's. There are NO FLIGHTS from JFK to HBT direct.

[@magicgenius]

Everyone obsessed over this First if this is the only hole in the story what about the photos. Second. He only mention it wasnt a layover in like england or something not necessarily that he didnt fly into Australia and then connect to Tasmania. The conversation was casual and he wasnt coming off like he was being deceptive

[@ktowntraceur]

You should send this to Corridor Crew to look for any sort of VFX/photoshop technique

[@kylejensen7024]

💯

[@blastfiend7478]

I’d love to see the collab episode

[@sptmoss9723]

Yes, they do such good work debunking photoshopped and edited images of “real” aliens/cryptids.

[@unit4735]

No this is a really good idea. Even pulling the camera data would really help.

[@ElectroOverlord]

There are professional places that do authenticity. Linked in my comments somewhere around here.. Love the Corridor Crew but they don't offer letters of Authenticity. Going to want to go to the big boys on this and not KZbinrs.

[@HongQuiLu]

The question everyone is thinking Forrest is "did he send the originals? and did the dates match?" Pls give an update

[@hungryforlunch]

10:23

[@MediumDSpeaks]

​@hungryforlunch no thats the first mention of it but at the end of the interview Zack agrees to send him the original photos not the copies

[@ThunderMonkey28]

Right, there should be geo location on iPhone photos.

[@arthurfascina]

You can modify the metadata

[@donaldferguson3773]

Who died and made this fellow an instant expert.where is all his pics .

[@fritzcolburn]

Just subbed because I want to see where this goes. I've got roughly 30 years in investigations and one thing I can say is no story ever told to me was complete and polished if it was fake. The memory lapses are totally normal and expected. There's clearly some family dynamic issues here that he doesn't want exposed, which is totally understandable. While he may not be being truthful about all the details around the trip and incident. The important part is this. Was this a Thylacine? I heavily lean toward yes.

[@torbernhybernator8801]

I live in Tassie, have done for nearly 30 years, I know the area he says he was at when he claims this happened from my trail bike riding days, and have adequate knowledge of the native flora and fauna from studies and previous employnent. Aside from the original photo metadata, I'm 99% convinced. I believe the Thylacine is still alive, that their species are recovering in isolated regions of Tasmania and that as the next few decades pass, we'll start to see more quick snaps of them as they start to spread to new territories and re-establish their species as the apex predators of our ecosystem. This gives me a glimmer of hope for Tasmanian Wildlife to return to a natural balance 💚

[@DarthFetid]

me too. but where are the others i worry about the inbred nature of the animal.

[@-touya_todoroki]

Same many places in the us also have had similar with wolfs where they recovered population elsewhere and then slowly reintroduced back into more normal ranges! There's now wolfs in Oregon much the same way! Due to the fact that they were known to not reproduce super well and also be illusive I think they found another niche far elsewhere and have just been vibing in fear of humans fleeing at first scent, sight, or sound of them. Bet you if you stayed in remote wilderness for a few years you might see em, I even once saw a convincing video of a thycaline like animal running upon sight of people! It was gone quickly too...

[@-touya_todoroki]

​@@DarthFetidto be fair we did give them the cheetah treatment and part of inbreeding in the wild we have found particularly in Cheetahs made them HIGHLY fearful nervy and illusive...can't imagine how much worse that would be on an already illusive or fearful natured animal....

[@sandrahealey6385]

Tasmanian farmers and tree plantation managers use 1080 to control the wallaby population. Carcasses are meant to be retrieved after the baiting, but this is mission impossible in most situations. Tasmanian Devils are dying of cancerous facial tumours, they're the largest consumers of carrion left in the state. Any tigers possibly left, would have to be in the deepest forest, where no man goes. Very little of that left here. Especially near Burnie!

[@iamrocketray]

@@DarthFetid The Human species got down to approx.40 individuals and look at us now! Yes inbreeding problems do occur sometimes but its not a big problem even considering the billions of us.

[@paulwatson156]

I live in Australia (mainland), have visited Tasmania, have friends living there and spoken to people who grew up there and can say that not only do most Tasmanians not question the Thylacines continued existence, particularly in remote areas, there are Tasmanians who say they have seen them when camping or fishing in remote areas of north west area. Tasmanians do not want the attention on the Thylacine's ongoing existence and the subsequent risk that Thylacine 'hunters' will negatively impact their habitat and bring unwanted tourism to conservation areas.

[@howdisturbing]

Not quite. Most of the pressure comes from the logging industry. If they find an animal, there will be no more felling/development in the area, if not the island due to conservation. A lot of people see the discovery of a Thylacine as a risk to them and their families thriving financially. My uncle lives there and is in the mining industry, also check out a film called The Hunter which is about exactly what I'm describing.

[@ericandrusty9250]

How do you explain him driving to Darwin Airport?

[@christinebroadby2797]

I am a born and bred tasmanian and i can tell you my friend you are correct with your comments. I live in suburbia now but when i was young i lived, camped and bushwalked all over tassie and i can tell you with certainty i believe there are still tassie tigers out there. A lot of us do believe because of the terrain here but if i saw one i would never tell anyone...if they were to be found it would be a shit fight for sure. I can understand why he doesn't want to show his face because social media is brutal. I really believe they are out there but i hope we never truely find. ❤

[@Alphahydro]

I can understand, and if so, hope the animal can thrive enough that its existence is no longer questioned.

[@kuttinkuddy3905]

Just like there's no mtn lions in new england.

[@joebishop910]

I need more extinct or alive episodes ...actually I need any new forest shows

[@dilophoraptordouble]

I need more extinct or alive that isn't a guy using existing research and eyewitness accounts from native peoples and using their coat tails for his own material benefit

[@willfungusman8666]

Why

[@BajatheChickenMan]

Soon has he has the cash he should just buy the naming rights and run it from his youtube channel. I bet it would be hella popular.

[@chris90sk]

​@@willfungusman8666when?

[@christhe2dprotogen511]

@@chris90skwhere?

[@stevendiaz619]

This dude is on the spectrum no doubt. He gives off I make grilled cheese at night vibes.

[@TheEudaemonicPlague]

This comment was entirely uncalled for. I detect a low IQ score from the poster.

[@SurfingTheSoundwaves]

There are for sure things that sound suspicious, but I will say, if I had captured footage of something that would make me famous, being an intensely private person, I would also be in disguise any time I went on camera.

[@Hamsamich271]

Same. I haven’t finished the video, however I work in an extremely professional environment and I wouldn’t want the entire internet to peg me as the crazy boy who cried thylacine. I also wouldn’t want my clients asking about it. Just a thought.

[@BBcaskin]

The internet is a cruel and merciless place and this is the kind of information that could make someone globally famous. I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to stay anonymous during all this.

[@SurfingTheSoundwaves]

@@BBcaskin You conveyed what I was trying to say much more succinctly. Thank you.

[@persephonemaeve2704]

Same. I probably would’ve kept the whole thing to myself. I don’t want a thylacine captured.

[@jarrettwalters6632]

Agreed

[@willberechree9049]

Hi! Tasmanian here. Stowport is a small rural community. A yank married to a local running a sheep farm would stand out like dogs nuts. The long time locals would now exactly who they are. Asking a few locals might be a good place to start to verify some of this story?

[@mj.l]

lol i love how he claims they flew back the the US from darwin. dude's never left north america.

[@silentsven1]

​@@mj.lnot only that, a cursory Google search shows that Hobart airports only international flights go to New Zealand.

[@supatony]

The credibility would be to prove his family property. And prove he had tickets to and from Australia. The Darwin Airport part threw me.

[@mothturtle7897]

​@mj.l you'd think a hoaxer would look up flights to Tasmania but maybe he never expected a question like that I can't think of any reasonable explanation why a genuine person wouldn't roughly remember their flight path from a trip that happened only a month ago, even if they don't recall the airport names, you'd certainly remember a layover. So yeah... I'd love this to be real but seems very unlikely.

[@jpw5029]

@@mothturtle7897I think this is a hoax and not a good one. But In general I’d be forgiving to not remembering flight paths. I did an international trip earlier this year and hearing this I tried to remember my flights, stop overs etc. bit harder than I thought.

[@alanm.4298]

Several posts have wondered if Zach and his dad hit the thylacine.while driving. That occured to me too. However it is also possible some other critter had been hit and killed by an earlier car and the Tasmanian tiger was there taking advantage of a free, easy meal! I am a photogrqpher... who hates camera phones! The photos look legitimate... and just about what I'd expect from an iPhone. Especially trying to use it at night and with digital zoom (as oppossed to an optical zoom). I agree that, in a sense, his reluctance to be seen and get credit for the photos adds some legitimacy to the story. I would be a lot more suspicious of someone looking for fame, glory, and recognition with this story. I really want to believe thylacines still exist! Keep us posted, Forrest.

[@geoffreykempsonyowie3278]

98% of people are sceptical even when proof is available they haven't seen it yet.

[@mj.l]

it's an obvious hoax. his claims about australia/tasmania prove he's never been here.

[@janekay4147]

They don’t come out to the roads they are in deep bush land

[@MegaDRjohn]

to me it seems likely the only thing hit was a strong bottle of alcohol

[@deathcouchma3025]

Well done Zach, I think you’ve rediscovered something very special. As for showing your face, I don’t blame you, I won’t even do face calls with my family and friends. They know what I look like and I don’t want to look at myself either. God bless you Zach and your dad 😊

[@peterphelan4561]

Tasmanian here, live 45mins away from that area. It actually looks legit to me. ive seen all sorts of animals on those roads at night, not a Tassy tiger yet, but i'll check the area and keep an eye out.

[@brendonchalmers4142]

He said there was blood im pretty sure , possibly if it was hit by a vehicle there may be some remnants there. It may have been eating roadkill tho...

[@toaster3822]

His story doesn't even add up. First he says it was half way on the road, then he says it was 15 feet away in the grass.

[@Draco09909]

@@toaster3822it could have moved since when they pulled to the other side of the road

[@anopoabednego6173]

​@@toaster3822 He said it was halfway into the road before they stopped, genius.

[@Walkdplankfrank]

The area isn’t heavily farmed and not fully cleared but I don’t think theirs anyway people would miss it because it’s still property land. I think they might be somewhere along the Lyell highway. I’ve heard reports.

[@thatpersonfromtassie]

Born and raised in the state of Tasmania. A lot of things this dude says/things that he is leaving out make me think he has never stepped foot on our island, let alone seen a Thylacine.

[@bethanyhunt2704]

What things?

[@justSomeGermanGuy0]

Exactly

[@matthewgordon9341]

Yea care to enlighten us foreigners?

[@jaded.PHANTOM]

​@@matthewgordon9341no direct flights to Tasmania from USA for a start.

[@thomaspike8630]

And drive to Darwin from tassie???

[@oladambo123]

Last photo and his hesitation when you asked what flights he took is making me skeptical. But if it is a hoax, it is 100% the realest looking hoax we have seen so far. Definitely interesting!

[@jasonglenn957]

You can't drive to Darwin from Tasmania unless you take the ferry from Hobart to Melbourne then traverse the whole length of the country from Sth to Nth.

[@GIRTHYANDITCURVES]

With AI you can really just type “flashlight shining on thylacine against grass background at night”

[@AckieGamer27]

@@GIRTHYANDITCURVES that isnt true, I tried putting the tazzie tiger in AI and it looked nothing like the animal in the photo

[@adil.670]

​​​@@GIRTHYANDITCURVES I didn't watch the call to form my opinion on him but from the pictures they do look like they were taken using an iphone , cuz unlike professional cameras, iphone does a lot of heavy processing to pictures you can always tell if a photo was shot on iphone , ai can make a photo in so many styles but but i don't think it would replacate the effect you get with iphone photos . Or maybe you can just Easley add "shot on Iphone" to the prompt hhh who knows .

[@Stand.Your.Ground.]

@@GIRTHYANDITCURVESno you can’t.

[@theirukandjisyndrome]

Has this been followed up in anyway since this video came out?

[@onyxsensei1052]

Honestly props to you for putting up with the interview that was so painful at points

[@staceyroberts3468]

I agree 😬😬😬😬😬😬. It was painful to listen to. Haha.

[@KingCourtside]

@@staceyroberts3468I thought I was alone

[@danieldecastro8275]

Two key things. He said it “galloped off”. Which is characteristic of their mobility. Also the wide wide open mouth which thylacine are known to be capable of opening their mouths wider than any type of canine.

[@moe_bee]

Almost like he had read Wikipedia before the interview, you know, like you would do...

[@varanus5622]

Small correction: Thylacines are not canids. Not even caniforms. They're marsupials. With that nitpick out of the way, you are right, I caught onto that "gallop" comment immediately. And the fact that he got two photos of the open mouth and the proportions line up...

[@varanus5622]

@@moe_bee He said he didn't know what it was until his friend told him.

[@BlakeubTheSnakeub]

@@varanus5622 OP said "any type of canine." Not "any other type of canine."

[@varanus5622]

@@BlakeubTheSnakeub Oops, sorry OP! 😅

[@bradleyfitzgerald3534]

Hearing this dude tell this story sounds like a 3 year old explaining that they just saw a unicorn

[@scottcelere9140]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@Stef2050]

To be fair spotting an extinct animal is basically the same thing

[@Federix02]

90% of students presenting in HS and even uni sound like this

[@samuraijackoff5354]

Probably autistic

[@JustDoinIt26]

N it shat rainbows 🌈 🦄

[@jasonbrown5477]

I see him as being legit. The photos being real. The eye shine in the photos looks so real. Plus the stripes on the animal is spot on. If it is a hoax, it's a great one.

[@budhschnell9192]

He said he was in Tasmania but said he was on his way to Darwin airport witch in the northern territory of Australia completely opposite side of Australia

[@marcopolo2395]

@@budhschnell9192 he was lying. also there are no direct flights from us to tasmania. he said they went straight forward to tasmania which is stupid.

[@UniQ.Kamruz]

The open mouthed picture looks cartoonist yet this guy thinks they are real pictures

[@piratebtf9506]

There's one dude on that zoom call that's going to make money from this, regardless of the outcome...and its not Zack lol

[@PatchMcHarg]

12:01 “This would be just soo sad if people are this desperate for attention”

[@TeethToothman]

😵😵😵

[@findyourwingsz]

sucks because it’s clear the guy has social anxiety, however he doesn’t want to admit it. it’s pretty common amongst people with social anxiety having trouble with admission, and another thing that pointed out to me was that he asked how long they have to talk for. great video.

[@jrgonzalez3845]

Yeah, a lot of people don't want to be famous and don't like attention, I don't agree with him considering that some sort of red flag. The kid just seems shy and kind of introverted.

[@ElysetheEevee]

​@@jrgonzalez3845 I honestly don't agree or even like a lot of what Forrest said in this video. I personally don't think him lying or it being the truth is more likely than the other. I think it could be either. However, some of the comments Forrest made about the guy made me feel bad for him. Like, whether he's lying or not, he's still taking the time to talk to you. Most fakes use their fifteen minutes of fame to make money and chase clout. The fact that he's already painting him as a liar but then skeptical that he doesn't want to go public is weird to me. This whole video is just weird, as far as how he treats Zack.

[@wingedhussar1453]

Bro if he sonr qant ti talk hw doesnt have to aayinf he ia aoculy akward like u knoq him pwrosnaly is talking shit

[@BoshiYoshi]

@@ElysetheEevee As someone with bad social anxiety I agree with the sentiment that this guy may very well suffer from it. The whole thing could be a hoax that he's perpetrating himself or that he got roped into by a friend, but either way, I can definitely see social-anxiety-related explanations for a lot of the things that feel off. Like if I were in this guy's shoes, I would not want to be on camera either. I also thought it was very rude of Forrest to refer to the guy as weird and call him a dorky kid. Like if it comes out that he hoaxed the whole thing, fine, call him whatever you want. But if he didn't, he was nice enough to come on your show despite clearly having anxiety and give you tons of youtube views which equate to more ad revenue, so feels wrong to cut him down like that when he hasn't proven to be a hoaxer or liar yet. Even without having social anxiety, having a big youtuber who's a stranger to you call you weird and dorky in front of a massive online audience would feel absolutely awful.

[@specificocean9490]

@@wingedhussar1453 when you wake up tomorrow probably dont drink that much again

[@scepticalhyenas5750]

I love the theory that they accidentally hit it with their car bc can you fucking imagine You just encountered one of the most sought-after animals, a member of a species long believed to be extinct, and you've just accidentally obliterated it with a speeding honda civic

[@x.y.7385]

But if there is one, there is more.

[@CollieMonster]

The black-footed ferret was re-discovered because a farmer’s dog brought a dead one home. If there’s one, there’s more.

[@J-_-]

Happened in Harry and the Hendersons.

[@pdloder]

I never thought of that - good point.

[@AlphaMachina]

@@J-_- I loved that movie as a kid.

[@thomasedward-anthony658]

I’ve seen all your episodes on Extinct or Alive. This dude is legit. The photos look 100% authentic. He does not have the😢guile to pull this off.

[@joshuajamieson5891]

Hey, local Tasmanian here, I am gonna analyse what he says. Okay, sorry its not adding up, there are no direct flights into Hobart from the u.s. Hobart is not an international airport anymore, and the only international flights it used to do where to NZ. He wouldve needed a connecting flight from melbourne or sydney. There are NO direct fligts from the u.s. to Tasmania, that is not something that exists. Upper stowport is in the burnie area in tasmania that is around 3 to 4 hours from hobart, so the 2 hour drive is unlikely However - The Road he is talking of, is very close to the Emu River reserve, which, would be a good habitat for the thylacine, so it defiantly isn't far fetched.

[@joshuajamieson5891]

Upper stowport is definantly not an unrealistic location tho. It's remote enough but. Also very very strange for it to be sitting on the side of the road. What time of night woukd be useful to know, and also, they are predators, not scavengers. Yes they may have been pushed to scavenge rather then hunt but. I don't beleive a "healthy" thylacine would just sit on the side of the road. Let alone on the road.

[@joshuajamieson5891]

I continue to research the validity, io have been looking through google maps of the area, and so far i have only found 1 place that could be the place he is talking about, with enough trees and grass there the photos to be realistic, but if i am honest... he would not need to zoom that much. Different possible Coordinates are: -41.137017162811674, 145.91555962854306 -41.07774435106956, 145.93634742777004 (This is a stretch as it is very close to Wivenhoe and Burnie, a bit to loud for an illusive animal) - I will be updating these posts if i find further info.

[@robday2859]

He did say Darwin airport, so it would be pretty easy to check connecting flights etc.

[@joshuajamieson5891]

@robday2859 Darwin airport has no direct flights to Tasmania, you would need to stop in Sydney, or Melbourne, and then get a flight to Hobart. The fact he said he flew into Darwin is strange enough as it is like the furthest location in Australia besides Perth from Tasmania. And he said that they had NO CONNECTING FLIGHTS AT ALL. Which doesn't work. He later said that he actually flew direct into Hobart from the u.s., which again isn't possible

[@katerinaweathers3286]

@@joshuajamieson5891 The pictures were most likely AI generated it’s possible, though that an artist painted them but that is very unlikely. And the fact that his story doesn’t add up as well is another big red flag. Safe to say that this is probably a false case. Hopefully real evidence that the Tasmanian tigers still exist does come up because I would hate for the animal to really be extinct… Also just wanted to say that it would most likely be digital art not traditional if they weren’t AI generated, which you can is the most likely to be…

[@btandthebear6021]

I think the guy is genuine. His level of confidence even if it wasn’t very high doesn’t really change. Someone with made up story sounds really confident until you start picking it apart. This guy didn’t change his story after you started asking questions. My only area of concern is the travel info. I work in the aviation industry and as part of my job I interview people who aren’t professional interviewees regularly. What I can tell you about the flight info is you aren’t going to direct to Tasmania or even southern Australia from Chicago or New York without inflight air refueling. So even if he was mistaken about his airfield names and I don’t see an issue with that because the average young person these days could very well be, he would remember if there were layovers so either he isn’t being completely honest about that or he’s afraid of divulging too much of those details because of privacy reasons. The one mistake I’d say you made when questioning him was on that topic. Keeping questions open ended are going to yield the most honest answers. When you named an airport he latched onto it and said yes that one. In developing witness questionnaires you should avoid “leading” questions that send someone down a path to a particular answer. Let them answer to the best of their memory even if it’s mistaken. You can sort out the details once you have a full answer. Maybe try to interview him completely off the books and with no recording to establish legitimacy and report back in your own words a summary leaving out any details he doesn’t want you to divulge to protect his privacy which he clearly values for one reason or another. If you go above and beyond to address his concerns and make him comfortable you’ll likely get the best answers that way. I can’t comment on the pictures because I know nothing about photography. All I can say is taking pictures with a phone during the day on moving targets is hard enough at least with my phone. I can see where zoomed in and at night they wouldn’t be very good. I know I’m 2 days late and one of over 8000 comments but if you do see this I hope it helps.

[@emjaynie54]

I can explain the photography part ... the dates were because of screenshots transferred from his friend, he said. Yet the photos were taken on his phone, so those originals on his own phone would have the original metadata, ie., the actual date the photos were taken ... as opposed to the date the screenshots were transferred to him. Agree on the leading questions too, and I also noticed that gaff.

[@btandthebear6021]

@@emjaynie54 that all makes sense with the photos. Something depending on the phone (this is true with the iPhone 11) is you get location with the metadata. A lot of people like myself, however, shut off their phones ability to track their location that precisely and as a consequence there is no location with the metadata. He may or may not have known about that ability or may or may not have shut that off. Having him send the originals may give the location they were taken though. Coincidentally, I took a picture of our cat this morning before the room had much light in it using the long exposure feature of the iPhone. Had nothing to do with this video. But I was immediately reminded of it when the cat was washed out and cartoon looking like this animal. For me that gives legitimacy to the pictures being real. But again I’m far from a photography expert. Just something that stood out in my mind.

[@IowaKim]

He sounds like some people I travel with, rely upon others to get them to the gate and unaware of their surroundings. Especially if dad is calling the shots. Geography eludes them.

[@TeethToothman]

The flights he's talking about definitely don't exist so, that's a lie for sure.

[@Justiceoysters]

With the replies it’s an essay

[@starsantheoriginal]

As someone who is married to a man with social anxiety, his personality isnt shocking at all. My husband has to be incredibly comfy with you to show any excitement or personality. And even then sometimes his reactions are dead with me. This man seems like a really nervous and socially awkward person who is terrified of the internet coming after him for whatever they percieve. Cause even if this is 10000% real, someone is going to harass him. SOMEONE is going tonattack or threaten him. For whatever reason. The internet is crazy, the anon desire is the least red flag of all of this

[@ProfessorPrimal]

Cap

[@starsantheoriginal]

@@ProfessorPrimal what is cap? Explain what I said that was a lie ???

[@Alberthoward3right9up]

I'm similar to your husband and the guy. But the flight directly from Chicago to Tasmania sealed it as bs to me. He must of had a connecting flight and that whole part sounded way off. Also stowport or upper stowport. Is less that 30 mins from a main highway and he said they had been on the road for an hour. Then seen the animal. As a local that didn't sit right either.

[@LostinMango]

If he showed his face people will say he wants fame etc and if he didn't show his face people will say he wants fame etc either way he's screwed.

[@hello_MeNutty]

I have the same personality. Especially if im asked to show my face on the camera, i get skeptical and shit and react the same as him. I also perfectly understand how much of an inconvenience it is, having such a personality to situations like in that interview where your credibility relies on you having your face be known by the other party.

[@marcopolo2395]

in 40:40 he lies. there is no direct flight between US and Tasmania, and the Chicago airport isnt called JFK. That airport is in NYC. Also, Darwin is Northern Territory in Australia, not in Tasmania. So the kid is either ignorant or straight up lies.

[@famass8888]

Get him to send you a screenshot of the photos in his camera roll, so you know they’ve been taken on that phone

[@Roy_mustang7]

"Photo details: Screenshotted on:this date."

[@ignore2466]

Sorry, but that is ridiculously easy to fake and would prove nothing

[@jn1540]

This is fake. The guys explanation of the situation and why he was taking photos doesn't make sense. Seems like he's phoning in his explanations. I don't believe this is legit.

[@Roy_mustang7]

@@ignore2466 Than how is it proven? Just assuming this was legit. I agree it isn't real.

[@harlyquin]

@@jn1540 ive met people like this, he seems to just be socially awkward, the think that tells me its fake is there is no direct flight from America to Tasmania, he even went into detail about how his dad only took the direct flight because he dosent like layovers , so yeah fake

[@Daniel7.62]

The kid seems like he may be on the autism spectrum. He acts like my oldest boy who is 19 and has autism. He can tell you what he did and what he saw but as far as names of places he doesn’t retain that information very well.

[@seiretzym]

I noticed this as well, as an autistic adult

[@MrCashewkitty]

He's definitely a bit off. Hope it's not a hoax

[@lordsauron2879]

100%

[@Pfenix23]

I also agree that he sounded like he was on the spectrum. Especially when you consider his interest in specific things like turtles, and the way he used certain words to describe things. Autistic people may latch onto a certain term like torch in place of a flashlight which a lot of people here seem to have an issue with him using.

[@CookiesDC]

I’m also autistic and totally agree

[@HitchSlap]

The dude really needs to get his flight story sorted out. There are references online for "direct" flights to Hobart from the USA. But when you drill down and actually attempt to make a booking, you get hit with at least 2 stops. As someone who has lived in Tasmania while working for clients in the USA, it would be have been incredible to get to the USA directly. Even if he flew into Darwin and then Darwin to Hobart, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin ALL stop in Melbourne first. Get his flight itinerary.

[@syntholshoulders1842]

it's fake HE won't even share other photos he's been there ITS ovviosly a fraud IF this animal was fher people would have seen it by now animals don't hide like this thrt go out and seek food n water not trying to be negative what animals hide we see all animals around even a yellow penguin

[@firestarterxox69]

I have flown there quite a few times. They don't all stop at Mel first, I've been redirected many times even. Everyone who flies there goes through that and we don't end up in Melbourne. They send us to Perth of all places most of the time and it really wrecks any plans you may have at the start. One thing is true though. It would be incredible to find a direct flight. 0 stop direct flights stopped quite a while ago.

[@wadesdad2640]

Yep, I second this.

[@channeling764]

The kid is socially awkward, and lacks articulation which is totally normal. Not everyone is an outgoing perfectly media trained person. And about the flights and stuff, nobody remembers airport names, I’d be guessing since those names don’t have any special phonetics.

[@Jamaca22]

Unless they flew private, quite possible from LA

[@cryptic3675]

27:18 I'm confused by the shadow behind its head. It doesn't look right. Like it is standing in front of a green wall and not a meadow or some thickett.

[@roxannejackson5637]

I am Tasmanian, lived in Tassie my whole life, there is so much wilderness here that I've always had the hope that they still exist. Sadly when he said they caught a direct flight from New York to Hobart I knew he has never been here, we do not have any direct flights from anywhere in America to Hobart. I so wish this story was true.

[@mardyroux8136]

Although it did sound like his definition of "direct flight" is that they didn't have to get a hotel and have a stopover on the way. It sounds like he's saying they flew from Chicago (airport in Chicago is O'Hare, not JFK, but he doesn't sound like the sharpest tool in the shed on that stuff) to Darwin and then onward to Hobart. This is why the return trip required a flight to Darwin and then back to the US. Bloody strange route to fly, but there are strange ones out there.

[@ReachingMyPrime]

He is a nervous introvert and as you know Hobart to Melb or even Sydney is extremely quick flight and you can remain on the same plane.

[@pixie706]

If it's lies where did they get the pictures from

[@walkerjones5756]

Could a private plane go that distance?

[@jackbicknell4711]

If it was a private plane, he would have said so​@@walkerjones5756

[@formosanflyfisherman1420]

I have theory, maybe they accidentally hit it with their car and the kid is scared he’s gonna get in trouble

[@zacharykai6317]

Yeah definetly could be a possibility.

[@garethcrothersmx]

yes that is a good point

[@MasonsRainforest]

Or possibly afraid of getting hate on the internet for hitting an "extinct" species

[@russellcampbell3500]

I thought the same thing

[@martinzilli9768]

Yeah why would someone stop in the middle of nowhere to look at a stray dog? this theory makes sense.

[@Tony.aussiecoltsfan]

Only his dad could help legitimise the story in an independent interview

[@leez3091]

We need him to know this or see this

[@matthewdEntremont]

"His dad" is too disappointed in his son

[@chris47374]

Check the flight plan that will end all of this is real of fake

[@Pink7omy]

Not really.

[@davida.4933]

Not going to happen and then you'll know it's a big joke.

[@WayneFry-h2g]

Did you check his flight info, as far as I can see there are no flights from Hobart to mainland USA

[@aufornvic]

Hey Forrest, thanks for sharing this video . I live in Australia, and I almost ran over a Thylacine about 29 years ago, but not in Tasmania. I was in Victoria, which is a close as you can get to tasmania without leaving the mainland. The one I saw ran right into my headlights as I drove, I almost ran it over. I didn't have a dashcam, and it was so fast I couldn't have taken photos even if I had a camera on the seat. I was working at the time, I was driving a company car , I was a pathology courier and it was early evening, but dark. The colour of the fur was the same as you see in the photos you have just shown, the stripes the same also. Because it was right in my headlight beams I saw the way it moved. Zack said it seemed to use it's rear legs more, that is an interesting description. These animals have a strange walking action, or 'Gait'. The front legs alternate left -right- left just like a dog, but the rear legs move together, in unison. It looks so odd to see it moving this way. Someone commented these photos make it look like someone painted these stripes on a dog. NO way. These photos look to be the real deal to me, and I am an eye witness. There is no way anyone could just make up these stripes and paint them on a dog, and get them right. The stripes in the photos are exactly anatomically correct. Plus , the sound Zack made is very close to what people say they have heard, and these thylacines are Marsupials. Every different marsupial sound I have ever heard is typically crazy-odd -weird sounding, just as Zack mimicked in your video. I am very convinced, based on your video, and these photos, along with what I saw in Victoria 29 years ago, this is the real deal right here. Thankyou for posting this. George Simpson, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (facebook.com/george.simpson.714) BTW... That last photo, with the wide open jaw, that is typical as well. Typical thylacine behaviour. Unquestionably actual thylacine behaviour, but not threatening... cheers.. GS

[@cindakeith9171]

I agree with you on the open mouth and stripes on it's body. I think it is real too.

[@jimmyrecard6021]

were you in the otways?

[@bjrnjohanhumblen525]

I was thinking that the wide jaw was inaccurate in the way that it wasn't facing them while doing it. But then i remember the stories of it not being that agressive. The missing nose made me sceptical but cell phones make all sorts of weird anomelies on the pictures. Especially if zoomed or dark.

[@caroldeno1589]

I am no biologist but have been seriously interested in the thylacine for years and have studied it a lot. I have a B.S. degree in a medical field. This is no kind of a qualification for this, but I want you to know that I am a serious and scrutinizing individual, and I think this thing is legit. Especially the gait and the open jaw.

[@WILLIAMSA.I.ARTVIDEOS-xw8ee]

Thanks, George. That FB page isn't available, by the way. Cheers!

[@shahinshakur]

I think the relationship with his father and how his father is with the internet kind of explains his slight awkwardness and fear of internet I don’t know

[@contentcop]

Honestly, he seems pretty autistic. Wouldn't be surprised if his dad was as well and it's caused personal issues between them. That's how it is for me and my dad at least

[@raymanvermillionare2962]

Yeah he's probably nervous

[@Doxymeister]

👍

[@nahunting]

Ya true but jeez if you found an extinct animal show who found it don’t be a secret

[@yvonneost12]

He said him & his father don't talk much , yet they go on a holiday together ?? to Tazzie , thats sounds sketchy to me .Plus all the details in the comments about flights etc sounds like a load of BS to me , for whatever reason he is doing this , who knows ? some peiple just like to waste peoples time bit like facebook buyers I guess they are bored , maybe . LOL

[@seiretzym]

I disagree that a desire to stay anonymous is a red flag. If anything, wanting to be known for it (wanting the fame) would be a red flag.

[@rasta77-x7o]

This is very true.

[@kindallnight1615]

True but he didn’t even want to show his face to him without the public thing

[@Valkyrie_71]

i agree

[@isaiasherrero7889]

Agreed!

[@NeverEnoughPyro40]

@kindallnight1615 What reason does he have to trust that Forest won’t expose who he is if he starts getting pressured, What if someone offered forest $1 million for this kids identity! There are plenty of reasons not to show his face to anyone!

[@lightsoutdrillinstructor237]

Dude was drunk or high AF, and hit it with his car, now he’s trying to give info without catching a charge.

[@kluk8284]

"I don't want to pressure you into showing your face." *continues to pressure him

[@sessaraquel1]

😂

[@jjasper7512]

"let's not have it be sketchy, maybe wear a hoodie, bandana and shades ......"!

[@Adaptibility]

This is a massive deal like if someone told you that trump was an alien with a picture of him eating a battery over a discord VC then you can't get the entire nation to turn on him with just that at that point anything that could make it 1% more convincing means a lot. But I must say that Forest was unqualified to do this interview and he could have gone about this much better

[@robertm627]

Not surprised that he want to be anonymous considering how much hate he is already getting, when he hasn’t even been disproved

[@MegaDRjohn]

his flight details and driving time are disproven

[@Andrew-fy9wu]

Because anyone with a brain knows that it is not real. They were thought to be extinct 100 years ago. For one to be found now, there would have been hundreds or thousands alive 100 years ago. Only fools believe.

[@SnorgYippee]

ITS ALREADY BEEN DISPROVEN. ARE YOU ACTUALLY THAT GULLIBLE?😂😂😂

[@UnknowNinja]

Could have took video easy but takes crappy pics.

[@jordansinclair281]

It has been disproved

[@dakotafrank5907]

I’m 50/50 to be honest. Some pictures looked spot on and in edited and others looks photo shopped. I pray it’s real and we revive this species from “extinction”

[@putnamehereholdmadoodle]

Its so fake its real elong musky

[@bjrnjohanhumblen525]

But don't release the revived until we know if the genes are mixed with tasmanian devil.

[@smmfdftbh]

There's a company that had been planning to bring back the Thylacine and the Whooly Mammoth, very soon

[@sabineb.5616]

You can be very sure that it's not real. Everybody and their grandmothers wants that the thylacine is still around somewhere. But this guy just wanted to have some fun and see if someone can be bamboozled successfully by his pictures. But he doesn't want to deal with the negative backlash of being called a hoaxer. It's not really that complicated. The fact that his pictures were made two days after he had contacted Forrest is a dead giveaway. The idea that he might've sent screenshots, is silly. He could still have sent Forrest the original pictures. It seems that the guy didn't even carefully plan his hoax. That's why he couldn't tell exactly which flights he took. Forrest should have kept this under wraps for a bit longer.

[@smmfdftbh]

@sabineb.5616 oh wow, you figured it all out, didn't you? Lol people who think they know everything crack me up. Glad we found the expert on this situation in the comments

[@LaceyR_FreeEricBrandt]

Any updates since this video?

[@jayteestud]

I live in Tasmania and yes the grass is exactly like that at the moment. Lush green knee deep in that area. Where he spotted the animal is as close as you can get to the last known sittings of the Tiger. Very quite road in sheep farming country. Yes he got the airports incorrect, but if he has travelled all the way to Tasmania it’s not a short trip. Would be easily confused if not done regularly. This is very possible to have really happened.

[@80_cake]

Aha! Knee deep grass would explain the cast shadows.

[@80_cake]

Ok, knee deep grass explains cast shadows behind his head, & is he like me abt sense of time? 2 hrs, 3hrs?? The drive…and was he confused abt a direct flight to Aussie? Then not taking into acct the flight to Taz?

[@emjaynie54]

Absolutely disagree about trip route confusion. The opposite would apply, if you only ever do something as amazing as this once, you're going to remember every airport you stopped at.

[@emjaynie54]

And at the very least, you're not going to claim it was "direct" when there is no direct into Tasmania from the USA.

[@jayteestud]

@@emjaynie54 lucky you remember everything. I am sure many enjoy the destination and take little notice of the travel along the way.

[@jahblo666]

Ask him to show his flight tickets, or even a picture of him somewhere recognizable in Australia.

[@jonpitts1978]

Wtf would he do that seeing as how they saw it in Tazmania

[@cameron4858]

@@jonpitts1978jit is u slow tazmania in australia

[@ryanmatthew3]

Bc you can’t fly from Chicago to Tasmania non stop. Not to mention he drove 6+ hours from Minneapolis to Chicago for a flight to Australia. That doesn’t really add up to me.

[@yoni2282]

@@ryanmatthew3 yea thats so weird to me lmao but you gotta be a real loser to doctor some photos like lmao too much time on your hands if thats the case he is definitely mixing up airport names lmao in Chicago the main airports are Ohare and Midway

[@Ian_Laing]

He probably didn’t mean to say Australia

[@cody8804]

The way he says numerous times “that was after he meowed at us”, it makes me think it’s real. He says it every time so matter of factly. And to call the noise a meow so casually over and over it just really seems to me he truly is recalling an event that happened

[@Lavander-n3h]

Right? The fact he explains it sounding more similar to a cat then any sort of canid gets me. The imitation he did really did sound similar to the hoarse coughy “bark” that people who heard them in life described them

[@paolo7486]

i totally agree! using the term meow for a dog-like creature is so specific

[@enderdefender7406]

@@paolo7486 It isn't dog-like but a Marsupial

[@SpencerDonahue]

that is quite the low bar you've set for credibility. these are just AI images.

[@mannyc.3654]

I think assuming it's a dog, but, hearing that meow/whine stuck Into his mind and it something he will never forget. It's real.

[@x13eAsTMANIAC]

I'm glad he asked the art question cause every time it goes to fullscreen I thought to myself man that just looks like a water painting 😂

[@MrWofli]

what's most suspicious to me is that he "chose to take pictures" of an animal he "thought was injured" under the assumption it was a dog and not knowing it's an extinct species Edit: I want this to be real

[@nickwhite2569]

He actually said that he took the pictures because they saw that it was clearly a very strange looking animal.

[@charlyyyyyyyyyy]

he said that he thought it was not a dog 20:16

[@reeceward8681]

he's showing signs of autism i have a friend who has it and he takes pictures of everything no joke so kind of adds up

[@oijosh6286]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but google "Archesuchus thylacine"- he's an artist, makes incredible lifelike models & put out photos of a thylacine he'd made the day before these photos appeared.

[@Kimmaline]

​@@reeceward8681I've said this on multiple threads. I think every single "weird" thing comes down to being non-neurotypical. As a neurospicy lass myself, I recognize my kin.

[@Japh]

I'm a Tasmanian, who's also traveled to the US a few times. He says his travel was something like this: - Drove almost 6 hours to Chicago - Teleports to New York (as 13 hour drive away) - Flies from New York direct to Hobart International Airport, despite no planes ever doing that - Or maybe, from New York to Darwin, despite that being a 50+ hour drive (including a ferry ride) from Upper Stowport These aren't small "oh I just forgot the name" or "oh yeah, there was a little stop over actually" errors... they're "I've never traveled to any of these places, so I'm winging it and hoping you haven't either" answers. My impression is that these images are likely AI generated, possibly with some post-processing. I know you mentioned, Forrest, that you couldn't get AI to produce anything like these. But I wonder if you were just using text prompts? Because I think if you used text prompts, and a couple of historic thylacine photos, and maybe a couple of photos of the look you were going for, all in the prompt you could probably get close!

[@yourlocalvintagegal]

I’m American and had no clue about that, thanks for the info

[@RandomShortGuy528]

If these are fake I do not think they’re AI generated these are WAY to good to be AI he’s gotta just be really talented at photoshop

[@Mark-id3bf]

I think the best way to support this take would be to challenge folks to produce/create similar quality photos using AI or other means. Would be interesting to see how close to this quality folks could get.

[@nintendofan1921]

@@Mark-id3bfexactly, people say they are artists and use AI, than recreate them the way you say he did it. The photos weren’t on the internet

[@lisagfrerer9429]

me having had teenagers, I would say, seeing he is travelling with his dad, who would have organised the whole trip and someone who he rarely sees, he probably spent the whole time on his phone and didnt pay attention to the details of flights, when and where and just went along with his dad leading the way- not unusual at all, many teenagers would do this.

[@michaeljaks5720]

I think the anonymous aspect is more the young man being self-conscious of his own appearance. I'm not trying to be hateful. But I understand the insecurities.

[@wolveerine]

I can easily respect that! as someone who struggles with body dysmorphia, I hate to ever be on camera - photos or video. There’s a lot of reasons why someone would want to remain somewhat anonymous.

[@rosiedognewzealand1026]

Wow another gen z made up condition, grow up and get a job

[@professionalcommenter]

​@@wolveerine I have body dysmorphia and severe rejection sensitivity. Putting my face on the Internet would send me over the edge.

[@The_Surf]

That was my take away as well

[@lisagfrerer9429]

I think he shows wisdom beyond his years and understands he could be world famous in the next couple of days and what this entails..Smart kid!

[@BayouYT]

I watched your video from 4 years ago with GQ. In it you said one of the main differences between crocs and alligators is that alligators don’t hunt large mammals. I’m from south Louisiana and have seen large alligators hunt deer in the swamps of Dularge. Is this not typical behavior from your understanding?

[@codyellis830]

Don't know about this one lads. I live in Tasmania and am a pilot, and as I'm sure it's already been pointed out, but there are no international flights to anywhere in Tasmania apart from the occasional Hobart to New Zealand which is only 2 and a bit hours. "Darwin" is about as far from Tasmania as he could have said, New Zealand is closer to us than Darwin. To go from the USA to Tasmania, there are no flights from Chicago, and only occasional flights from JFK to Sydney or Melbourne. You must go to LA or San Francisco first, then fly to Sydney or Melbourne then onto Tasmania. That's a total of 3 flights MINIMUM, one way. Not sure about the dad and not liking connections? Doesn't add up. Also, when Forrest showed the image meta data, the picture had 72 pixels per square inch. Having worked with the iphone 11 in a professional setting, they have a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch and on a modern phone, the pictures shouldn't look that bad, as they have night mode that automatically kicks in. Videoing is much better proof because it is harder to forge than images. Finally, some pictures have a really green grass in the background and some have what looks to be dead grass or dirt. The way he speaks of the details doesn't seem like this fellow is being legitimate and if there is no ticket proof, it is totally possible he never came here in the first place. Tasmania has sophisticated schemes to track down any possible specimens and the sighting ends up being on a tourist who stumbles upon it. Yeah nah

[@communication001]

Your points aren't that good - except as you say the flight thing is really like - woah hang on that's not good.

[@communication001]

He could easily mix up Darwin and hobart in his head. Just as words rather than as places on a map.

[@communication001]

As I said above in my comment it was chicago he flew from not jfk. Forrest put the jfk idea in there. The guy said 'Chicago - jfk or whatever it is' and it's actually called o hara.

[@communication001]

They've covered the meta data issue. It could be a screen shot as he said.

[@communication001]

His dad is clearly a little bit of a sceptical slightly paranoid type guy. Why would it not seem legit that he didn't want to do layovers in some unknown foreign country? He's watching American media after all. 😂

[@cb1057]

If I was a betting man I'd say fake, but I so want it to be real

[@charlockprime]

Same here, unfortunately.

[@AdamStarr816]

It's A.I. would be so easy to type in picture of it in the dark on cell phone camera.

[@silentassasin7989]

@@AdamStarr816nah ai usually get small bits of information wrong you’ll see some deformation and inconsistency

[@patrickleahy7854]

@@AdamStarr816I thought so at first too, but the truth is AI is awful at generating thylacine photos. I mean truly abysmal. They put the stripes everywhere… around the head, by the eyes, on the legs, etc. it almost always happens. Or they get the face totally wrong. These photos, for all their faults, get the features borderline flawlessly. If I were to bet on how they were faked (if they were faked) I’d say either digital art or actual painting. I could see a very talented artist making these and saying they’re grainy iPhone photos.

[@smokedrumi]

@@silentassasin7989the pictures did have small things wrong with it though

[@johndefrancesco6257]

You cannot travel direct to Tasmania form anywhere in the US. You must stop over in a major city like Melbourne or Sydney.

[@1pierrr]

What about from Darwin International Airport 16:50?

[@Mac_n_Steez]

@@1pierrr which is on the other side of the country

[@Ududneidkcn]

​@@1pierrrwhy on Earth would you fly JFK to Darwin? Then to Tassie? NO ONE would do that!!! It's wayyyy more expensive and takes longer. You would fly to Sydney or Melbourne and then to Tassie.

[@1pierrr]

@@Mac_n_Steez yeah i know. sorry missed the /s label. It was weird he said he was on his was to darwin. why would anyone fly through there?

[@1pierrr]

@@Mac_n_Steez yep. thanks mate. im on a different side.

[@karmitdafruge1]

imagine living through extinction just to die getting hit by a car lol

[@Witchfoot.Incorporated]

Things that do make sense: -random foreigner stumbling upon it -‘meowed’ at me -including the in-between blurry pics -he & his dad wondering if they should take it to the vet -guy wanting to remain anonymous -the way guy talks on interview. He’s a random guy unfamiliar with podcasts, zoom talks etc -not knowing exact flight paths, hours driven etc is normal -he not volunteering any ‘fantastic’ info or unrealistic details BUT Photos instead of video? Thats what makes no sense whatsoever. Why not record video? Who the hell shoots pics nowadays? I want it to be true.

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

I take photos over videos because I love photography not videography 🤷‍♀️ But I think he’s full of it

[@StephenMcCallumAu]

None of the airport and travel info makes sense, this guy has clearly never been to Tasmania.

[@KakashisOnlyGirl1]

@@StephenMcCallumAuI think he might be posing as the one that found it for a friend who ACTUALLY found it, but didn’t want to be publicized. Its why he couldn’t place perfect details.

[@mihajlo6489]

I literally never remember to record a video. The photo button is just there and I just press that whenever something interesting happens

[@edwhatshisname3562]

He probably panicked. The first setting your phone is on is photo mode, so you have to look down for a precious second to switch it over to video, then hit record. Even that part makes sense.

[@FUBAR-72]

I live in Tasmania. His flight info is BS....we don't have direct flights from overseas!🤣

[@outbackjerky]

exactly

[@craggallz]

I know right, Darwin international airport is what he says, hahahaha

[@Kiwigd]

Well you can fly from New Zealand to Hobart between October and March.. but that doesn’t support this story..

[@FUBAR-72]

@Kiwigd...nz doesn't count....you guys are family 😊

[@universalgas2501]

I thought the same... Could be confused with Devonport in Tasmania... But I don't think that's an international airport. I could not tell if he was hiding his appearance because of body image... Or he is just dodgy. Have not seen or heard anything about this in Australian media.

[@malligrub2516]

He's obviously a bit of an atypical personality, probably on the spectrum, but that doesn't mean his story is any less real or the photos are fake just because he communicates a bit weirdly compared to most typical people. Definitely the most convincing photos of all. The way Forrest keeps interrupting tends to make people like this very uncomfortable as well. I actually find him very believable and natural, quite unaware of what a miracle he's involved in

[@Anone113]

How did you end up assuming he's in the spectrum?

[@mblizzy]

@@Anone113 I do to. Its because of the way he interacts and communicates. I have family members on the spectrum and they are similar in many ways.

[@nr1NPC]

Dont know if its real or not. Guy should send the camera roll so we can see that the photos were taken at the same time etc. There are some parts that makes me suspect he might be lying. Nr 1 - He said he flew to Darwin Airport. Thats a lie, because Darwin airport is in Australia, not in Tasmania. Nr 2 - There are no planes that goes from anywhere in the USA directly to Darwin Airport. Nr 3 - He said that the animal was laying on half on the road and half in the grass - but the pictures show it laying in the grass. But the photos are so good. I compared old photos of the Tasmanian tiger with his - and it looks just like the ones in old photos

[@ozramblue117]

@@nr1NPCcamera is his iPhone 11 and it’s digital. 😊

[@kimberlynelson7898]

He's definitely an introvert, very likely on the spectrum and also sounds like he's not necessarily into girls (if you know what I mean). There's also "Social Anxiety Disorder" - which I am guessing he also has to some degree. He's a "heavy" kid based on his hands and with any number of these factors, it actually makes sense to me that he wouldn't want his face showing in a video that he knows he will have no control over once it's out there on the Internet. I became so anxious when I was engaged 20 years ago once I realized everyone was going to be turning to look at me while I was walking down the aisle. Those were the only butterflies I had about getting married. Our oldest daughter is very socially awkward and almost certainly on the spectrum too so the personality doesn't send any red flags up to me... The airport / direct flight thing is the biggest issue for me. Does he have copies/photos of the plane tickets??

[@markbassani8804]

I am Australian and I have lived in PNG for 40 years. I first came her as a volunteer. Back in the 1980s, there was a story going around that another volunteer teacher was up around the OK Tedi area near Indonesia border and this guy was in class showing an old Australian Book that showed Australian Animals. The story goes that when we he got up to the end of the book, it showed a picture of a Tasmanian Tiger, the story goes the student reacted immediately saying these animals exist, they even have a name for them in their language. They didn't get excited about any other Australian animal except the Tasmanian Tiger. Its hard to describe how remote and dense the bush is up there. I have heard other stories about this animal over the years. I fully agree, these animals are up there alright. Good luck in your search. Get the locals involved, they will find them before you do.

[@karlso7314]

Anyone desperate for attention doesn’t want to be anonymous. This is pretty compelling. I live in Tassie and so I’m familiar with the type of area that Zack is talking about. Don’t get the authorities involved though. It won’t help their cause. Just let them be.

[@renato892-j4i]

Forrest there is a very ease way to check if he did traveled to tasmania. Just ask him to show you his passport! If he did it, you will see the Australian/Tasmanian stamps.

[@HumanimalChannel]

Lol we dont get STAMPED any more. Its all AI and electronic. Passports are scanned, out faces scanned. He would have been issued Boarding Passes tho.

[@Jimbalex]

⁠@@HumanimalChannel what are you talking about passports don’t get stamped, yes they do, mine did two days ago lol

[@jordyb57]

@@Jimbalexdepends on the country/airport….

[@michaeldogostino9049]

Are people forgetting that this dude wasn’t the one who even had interest and sent it in it was his friend he said he’s not into wildlife like that so why would a normal person who doesn’t care about extinct animals like that care or be overly exited about it. If he was looking for fame or money then that would be more of a red flag than being anonymous

[@nonyobussiness3440]

Probably was drunk when he hit it too and he doesn’t want to be blamed for extincting it lol. Also, the pictures are pretty shitty so he’s probably like yeah we took photos here they are but he knows they don’t look good and that people are going to doubt them

[@Sarsange]

I'm a digital artist and my first red flag was he talking about two different points of light or saying another person had a flashlight because you saying that fixes any weird angle of a fake photo like "he was taller but I took the picture from the side so the angle of the shadow is weird" and shit like that, I saw this trick soooo many times on fake pictures and I can assure you some of the fake pictures AND even more difficult, videos, looks pretty legit and it was all fake so be careful, the other red flag I noticed is him being 0% exited or sure about the responses, the first thing I would answer when someone asked for "say something to make you convincing" is: test the proof, ask professionals, experts of digital art or pic manipulation, I can't show something more convincing than the actual footage and my story, I will show you everything you need to know in an instant without thinking, hours, place, day, year..." that guy not wanting to show the face is to me not a red flag even if it's fake, I would not share mine, maybe he was doing something bad that day, imagine he made a fake story for someone as an excuse or so, I'm concerned about my identity too even if I'm not doing something bad, I hate internet fame.

[@ladyangua1]

"shrieky almost like a meow" From the National Film and Sound Archive "thylacines were usually mute but they were capable of husky coughing barks when excited and terrier-like double yaps when hunting."

[@communication001]

My research suggests several sounds that are reported. Yips when hunting to get prey out of the undergrowth. Double yips because male and female together. (The male seems to follow the female around rather than being willing pairs so much.) And other sounds such as warning sounds are different. So it wouldn't be a yip in this scenario but a warning sound.

[@WindsofChange]

LOL, search Thylacine sounds on youtube. You know that they once had some in captivity, right?

[@ladyangua1]

@@WindsofChange No confirmed audio recording exists. Any sound recordings you have seen are either from unconfirmed "encounters" or imagination. Eye witness descriptions describe thylacine vocalisations as - a coughing, barking noise, a low growl when irritated (probably a warning) and a whining noise like that of a puppy; uttering a short guttural cry resembling a bark; a "wheezing cry"; "a low smothered bark"; and a grunt or a warning hiss. From my point of view, none of those descriptions align with the described "shrieky meow".

[@WindsofChange]

@@ladyangua1 Hun, they had them in zoos for a time, they took audio and video with their best equipment at the time. Don't be a doofus. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKXYaKt_lJyCbqs kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppyzmpqAaZeVn68 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJjXYYtjZ5x6jq8

[@WindsofChange]

@@ladyangua1 They took audio and video with the equipment that they had at the time. The video is all over. And the sounds have been described also as terrier like yapping and other descriptions. So you are putting forth another person's opinion and interpretation of what they heard when they witnessed the animal handed down....and adding your opinion to it and assuming that it is the only sounds that they make. Thus another person's opinion and interpretation is wrong, in your opinion, because it doesn't fall into your imaginings of what the described sounds would be. That is very short sighted. Unconfirmed audio is at least as good as second or third hand opinion about the full range of sounds that they can make. At least. I'm sure we don't have a full record of all the sounds that they can make. At least I'm "with it" enough to understand that. His shrieky meow description one person might describe as something else, and another person describe yet another way. Dogs commonly huff and bark, but every so often when they yawn big they make a weird sound.....you don't usually hear them doing it, but on occasion. So it is within the range of what sounds they can make. I'm sure the TT is the same where it has sounds it frequently makes, sounds it sometimes makes, and sounds that it rarely makes- but all are sounds that a TT makes and might be heard by a person.

[@hollow-xiii-]

I'm from Australia and have traveled to Tasmania and none of what he said about traveling to Tasmania made sense. Also Traveling From Hobart, In the south to Stowport, in the North takes about 4 hours not 2. He also said he was driving for 100 miles without seeing another car. This makes no sense as it takes about 5 minutes to drive from Upper Stowport to Stowport and there isn't anywhere near to 100 miles of road out there even if you drive in circles. If he was heading to Hobart which is a 4 hour drive he would first have to drive through Devonport (a fairly major city) which is about 30 miles from Upper Stowport. No cars? I call BS on this one.

[@keirayeaah]

What gets me is he’s in Tasmania and is driving to “Darwin international airport” (16:49)

[@hollow-xiii-]

@@keirayeaah Yeah and flights from the U.S. wouldn't go anywhere near Darwin. They would most likely stop in Auckland then Sydney and then Hobart. Hobarts only international flight is to Auckland so there's no way he flew direct from NY.

[@1pierrr]

@@hollow-xiii- they do actually. I heard him say this and then looked. 18th is a Thursday (when he apparently took the photos late at night), but flights leave thursday to San Fran and Honolulu, Sat to Las Vegas, Mon to LA, New york and Sacrmento. He can only be on Vegas flight. bur vegas is nowhere near minneapolis.

[@jaicehough6184]

This is what did it for me too and the last photo

[@hollow-xiii-]

@@1pierrr he said he flew in direct to Hobart from New York with no stopover and there is just no way that happened.

[@vineleak7676]

Wanting to remain anonymous is not a red flag... Most of us don't want to be exposed to the crazy people of the internet, especially on a subject like that, don't underestimate the ability of terminaly online people to find your address, your childrens social media profiles etc.

[@amrex-m4i]

Agreed, I feel like there needs to be some level of anonymity on the internet nowadays.

[@averagegremlin]

Yeah same, if I found something groundbreaking like this idk if I would want to say my identity, it's definitely an appealing idea but the internet can be terrifying when it comes to privacy, I don't think I would want to chance being stalked or harassed. Even if the story were true, there will ALWAYS be at least one weirdo wanting to know EVERYTHING about you. This doesn't mean I believe their story, I am always skeptical of stuff like this, but I can def understand wanting to stay anon. Hell, some people can use voices to find things too which is WILD. Suddenly being thrown into the limelight is scary alone, because suddenly everyone's eyes are on you and gossiping.

[@franzferdinand1982]

Yeah, but posting obviously faked pictures is...

[@ashdog236]

Exactly, I used to do KZbin and then people started noticing me on the street, my address, my family members started being added on socials by hundreds of randoms saying they knew me, got super creepy and I only got up to 30k subs. I unlisted all the videos on my channel, still got about 18k subs I think but man, just a little slice of that’s was enough for me, I’m an extremely private person and struggled big time with it. There are people in this world who really value privacy, and I’m one of them so I get it.

[@GumaroRVillamil]

People have gotten doxxed for far less. I understand him not wanting to appear on camera

[@Redrum-c7g]

@ForrestGalante has there been any new developments on this?

[@glenbalk8350]

He states “we were heading back to Darwin international airport” That is at the top of Australia, which is 4,254kms from his proposed sighting location. That is 2,643 miles. This guy is Full Of It!!

[@reynardgrimm2811]

Yeah, there's also no direct flights to Hobart.

[@SundanceMair]

My thoughts the same you can't get a direct flight to hobart from USA only via new Zealand

[@aussietiprat3193]

Yes, why would you go from Tasmania. to Darwin to America? When you will go to Melbourne to America? This guy should have looked at a map 🐂💩🐂💩🐂💩

[@carldale7048]

He also says that they were heading to the Darwin airport at 11:30 pm to come back to the states. What time is this flight? Who heads to the airport around midnight?

[@BarnesAdventures]

He says in his story that nit happened just after they left, and then said when they pulled over that they had seen no one in about an hour

[@RudyRaab]

IIRC, iPhones from iOS 11 defaults to taking photos in HEIC format, and you were looking at a JPEG. If it was converted to JPEG (few devices support HEIC outside the Apple ecosystem) on the 21st, that would explain metadata discrepancy.

[@JustDoinIt26]

Smart

[@OystercatcherFan]

Or possibly it's just 100% faked?

[@luthor97]

The photos they showed us are the screenshots. The screenshots are usually JPEG, aren’t they?

[@danielschmaderer]

Thanks for that. My whole thought was the metadata is the big tell all. If this is the case, then it could answer some things I questioned.

[@danielschmaderer]

@@OystercatcherFanI wouldn’t write it off quite yet as fake before some evaluations. Being skeptical is totally normal and personally am too, but I’m not gonna say 100% yet as some of the photos do look legit and do deserve to be seen by some professional photo analysts.

[@PBentz28]

As someone who has worked photo/video for 15 years these photos seem quite real to me. The noise patterns and noise reduction process are consistent. They look like what I would expect from extreme low light photos from that era of iPhone. Creating one image like this could easily be done, but a series like this would result in some discrepancies that would be hard to hide.

[@stellviahohenheim]

AI could make the pictures consistent. It's why pictures or videos on the internet are meaningless these days

[@HRRRRRDRRRRR]

Take photo of dog at night, mess with prompts until you get a model to replace said dog with a thylacine.

[@flojotube]

CORRECT... all the people screaming FAKE are basing it on nothing but their battered ego and boredom. absolutely annoying

[@flojotube]

@@stellviahohenheimgreat, and the metadata would reflect this ai intervention... so your point isn't valid at all. 🤦‍♂️

[@flojotube]

@@HRRRRRDRRRRRprompts... right...

[@Senapsdesign]

Did we ever get the original files?

[@tremendousmoss]

Plot Twist: Forrest hired this guy to fake it so that he could get funding to go search for the Thylacine himself 🤣

[@kylewilliam4230]

lol That would be genius

[@tombombadil6591]

Epic plot twist!

[@BillCoz]

He should have hired a better actor.

[@ZilchFukaina]

Kony 2012 type of deviance.

[@loganrobson8624]

honestly, that would be pretty clever

[@Mike-cr4pl]

It looks legit. The kid not knowing airports sounds like someone who doesn't travel much. He doesn't want to face the harassment and ridicule of the trolls.

[@Erizedd]

Or doesn't pay much attention, and potentially didn't want to go on the holiday so he's not engaged in the experience - in one ear and out the other. It's not that unusual for such a case, and if you add in that he's a teen, potentially has some sort of anxiety issue, and his dad probably took care of the holiday plans... again, not so unusual.

[@sunnyomgsocool]

its fake

[@ninjaskeleton6140]

He’s lying through his teeth. Nothing about this story makes any sense. For instance, you cannot fly directly from JFK airport to any location in Australia, let alone sleepy little Tasmania. Are you telling me he honestly can’t remember how he flew to Australia? Completely ridiculous. His story is obviously completely fabricated.

[@bernardedwards8461]

He didn't seem to know that no US airline has a direct flight to Tasmania. The chances of thylacines still being alive after 90 years with no road kills or remains of any sort being found are vanishingly small, a million to one against.

[@kevinlord6325]

​@@ErizeddQantas Airlines have direct flights...

[@combatj4ck837]

I work in Aerospace, there isn’t a commercial flight that flies direct to Hobart from the US direct. The only international flight direct to Hobart is from New Zealand.

[@DCintheAir]

I'm in Aviation as well. His "direct flight" route is suspicious. Since COVID, lots of flights got grounded/ cancelled, and direct flights are hard to find especially to other countries. ORD or JFK direct to HBA International is not a daily flight whatsoever. Best way is to get to SYD first which QANTAS flies direct from a few International Airports. Once he said JFK DIRECT to HBA, my bright red flag went up! Especially since he said he drove to ORD to take a flight out of JFK 🤔

[@ryanmatthew3]

Thank you!! lol so he drove from Minneapolis to Chicago (6+hr drive that I had to do for a wedding) and then flew from O’Hare (not JFK which is in NY) on a nonstop flight to Tasmania?? I’ve been looking to go to Australia for years and have never seen a nonstop flight EVER!! I smell cap 🧢!!!

[@loksterization]

He mentioned Darwin first.... maybe he flew to Darwin and from there to Hobart.

[@combatj4ck837]

@@loksterization who forgets about connecting flights on a 26 hour journey? If I fly coast to coast I have my story for everyone ready on how my connections went. I don’t think those are details you overlook. Plus, why Chicago to Newyork? The logical connection is LA.

[@blaberus1]

@@DCintheAir Maybe he's high on drugs!

[@rubenmartinezjr6323]

Did you brighten up the photos

[@rachelwilson6531]

Not wanting to show his face is understandable in todays day and age .

[@gorillasinthecoupe8124]

True. Then he probably should not have said anything to begin with. "I found a ground breaking discovery but you'll never know who I am or if I'm telling the truth" is pretty much what he did.... which is useless and doesn't solve anything.... "but not showing your face is understandable" so is stfu when you have nothing of importance to say or proof to back you.

[@radioraffa]

Because people who know him will come out and tell on him being a BS artist

[@SimpleJack95]

Dude is in the witness protection program 😂😂

[@ivyrose779]

I agree. I would be very reluctant to release my real name or face. I’ve seen too much on the internet.

[@JungleMan777]

BS. This day and age people salivate at the mouth for 5 minutes of internet clout. Doing all sorts of dumb stuff.

[@firemakerstudios2408]

First thing that stood out to an Australian; they were driving to Darwin international airport… from Tasmania? That’s a more than 4300km (2670+ M) drive with a 240km (150m) stretch of open sea in the first half of it. You’d have to get a flight out of Tasmania (which only flies to the Mainland or NZ) and no one in their right mind would fly from Tas to Darwin to get to the states. Hiding his face is a brilliant way of avoiding the roasting he’ll get from anyone who owns a map.

[@saltybulldog3241]

Yeah all the believers are Americans for sure. Aussies have just been getting wind of this and are calling out the obvious BS.

[@LostinMango]

What will he gain by faking it?

[@Renzy-LuLu]

Yes, you CAN'T get to Tasmania at all unless you fly from Melbourne, period. Unless it's from New Zealand. It takes a 1 hour plane ride over the ocean to get here, from Melbourne. You can't fly from Tasmania to Darwin. It's a connecting flight transferred over at Melbourne. Flight typically would come from outside Australia straight to Melbourne and then to whichever state. I guess some international may go to Darwin or WA etc? I can't say, never been to those states.

[@firemakerstudios2408]

@@Renzy-LuLu you’re not missing much

[@firemakerstudios2408]

@@LostinMango Who knows. Only thing I can figure is it’s the internet; attention is currency.

[@jaked5651]

Forrest bet if you took him on a turtle adventure, he’d open up

[@ProfessorPrimal]

Fax

[@piercemaciain4847]

We have video of them in a zoo before they became extinct. Do we have audio recordings or descriptions about the sounds they make? Do his descriptions of the tail and movement patterns line up what we know?

[@GaryFaulknerBigVinylArt]

Im a childs mental health nurse. The guy seemed like he was autistic or perhaps had some learning difficulties. Repeating the complex details of a route may simply not be possible for him. However, he may have been able to recall in great detail the single incident of finding the thylacine, especially if he had an interest in animals.

[@Angelwrites]

Diagnosing someone from one conversation as they are fully covered up telling one story is crazy lmao

[@airbornemelody6156]

@@Angelwritesthey didn’t diagnose. they said some of the guys mannerisms are similar to autistic traits .. nobody said he definitely has autism, they just pointed out that from working in their field they notice signs that COULD be attributed to autism

[@Znorlaz]

Discord mod typa guy

[@Nathan_W63]

Kid is super sketchy, story is fake, photos are fake. Not even close.

[@shastadude13]

Glad someone else noticed this! I'm not a health care professional but I work in law enforcement and have dealt with a ton of children and adults with varying ASD over the years. Additionally, my son is higher functioning ASD and this young man was setting off my ASD radar all interview. While many with ASD are capable of lying or "fibbing", I find more often than not people with ASD or other special needs tend to be quite honest to a fault. The "indifference" they discuss about how he carries himself is also very typical among people with ASD, if it's not something they have an interest in, they won't get excited about something so extraordinary like most neurotypical people would. Man I really hope this is legit and with the ASD angle in mind, I tend to lean toward it is real as it explains a lot of his difficulty answering broad scope questions.

[@PathosBedlam]

As a Tasmanian whose father use to go bushwalking and swore he heard these I don't doubt it. Even that one pic where the nose looks gone, it is actually there, but it's blending in a bit. In the same photo don't stress about how wide the jaw is going, I am fairly certain this animal could dislocate their jaw when they needed to. In these shots it's likely being done as a threat response. My mother also says her and dad saw one run in front of their car in this same area years ago. Dad's been dead since 2012.

[@yeahrightgraphics4621]

@PathosBedlam I call hoax, but his sketchy bullshit story. The rest of your comment i agree with. Was in ag sales to all NZ and Aussie. Asked a more remote farmer client, he swore by fact hia uncle had nearly run one over late night mid 1990s

[@marcopaulo_]

Right about the nose, phones can do weird stuff, but the thyla could not dislocate it's jaw, these are fake

[@natalieholmes8013]

⁠​⁠@@marcopaulo_ it couldn’t dislocate the jaw no, but it can open the jaw very very wide for animals that appear “similar” such as a dog or similarly body shaped animals. There is a video clip of one yawning you should see if not already.

[@marcopaulo_]

@@natalieholmes8013 yes but the one in these pics has a dislocated jaw

[@hishaamoz7741]

Go watch Thegamingbeaver's response to this it's pretty much debunked that it's a hoax

[@Bs-gw3tt]

He said it was lying half in the road and half on the verge, yet the picture of it lying down is fully in the grass

[@Erizedd]

It may have been lying down partly on the road, got up and walked some steps, and then lay down again, at which point he took the photo - if it was injured or stunned, that wouldn't be that unusual.

[@person86422]

But he never said that was part of the story. If it got up, moved, layed back down that would be a big part of the story. He never mentioned that. And what about the blood that was visible from the vehicle while they were driving? They stopped because they saw blood and thought he was injured.

[@bernardedwards8461]

@@person86422 The blood would have contained DNA and therefore irrefutable evidence that it was thylacine blood.

[@shawnwillis7561]

That's a damn good point

[@snowmanO07]

@@person86422if they saw it lying half on the road, and then pulled across to the other side of the road to get out and help it, it is highly plausible that the animal moved as they pulled over/got out. It didn’t move there while they were looking at it, so it isn’t a memorable part of the story. I think that checks out just fine.