The Last Tasmanian Tiger. The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, was a remarkable carnivorous marsupial characterized by its dog-like appearance and distinct stripes across its back. Despite its name, it wasn’t related to tigers but evolved to fill a similar ecological niche in Australia. It was native to Tasmania, mainland Australia, and New Guinea. The thylacine was the apex predator in Tasmania until the arrival of humans, but its population rapidly declined due to habitat destruction, hunting, a