13Apr2002
AUSTRALIA: A Tiger by the tale
A Tiger by the tale MICHAEL Moss has spent a large part of his 36 years searching for live examples of both the Tasmanian tiger and the extinct marsupial lion (he thinks it should be correctly called a leopard). While such an interest may immediately make some readers think Moss is a nutter, he comes across as a dedicated amateur researcher who is not given to overly extreme flights of fancy. Seeking more information on possible sightings of either of the aforementioned beasts, he applied to the Tasmanian Government under the Freedom of Information Act in February for any records of sightings it held. Early this week he received a reply from the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, which said it had 42 pages of information regarding sightings or evidence of Tasmanian tigers and "big cats" in the state.
Moss's hopes of a research breakthrough were dashed when the letter went on to say, that 40 of the pages were being withheld because, "the disclosure of the information would be contrary to the public interest, because the disclosure would be reasonably likely to impair the ability of an agency or minister to obtain similar information in the future". The bureaucrat who penned the missive also added that the information could be withheld as it was "likely to threaten endangered species". Not surprisingly, Moss believes the Tasmanian Government is "hiding something pretty big". A giant pussy cat, perhaps?