On the trail of the Tasmanian tiger

Centuries ago, maps of the oceans included images of gigantic sea serpents coiling themselves around ships. It didn't mean they actually existed; these were on unexplored areas of the oceans and that lack of knowledge meant that it was possible that such monsters might in fact be there.

In terms of sea monsters, some believe they still exist; the Loch Ness Monster is a case in point.

Even though the idea that an enormous sea creature - or a family of such creatures - have lived in a largely enclosed body of water is extraordinary unlikely, people still insist they've seen Nessie.

Add to that tales of the Yeti, Bigfoot, black panthers that seem to roam anywhere in Australia where there is bushland and it's clear there is something that makes us want to believe in their existence.

We've given up on the idea of fairies, unicorns and mermaids, but still want to consider that other creatures are out there.

The Tasmanian tiger, while it was a real living creature at one stage, also falls into this category.

In the 1800s, the Tasmanian government paid a bounty for each dead tiger, because it was believed they were killing sheep on farmlands. That inevitably led to its extinction, with what was believed to be the last one dying in captivity in 1936.

But people keep insisting they've seen the tiger roaming around in Tasmania; the animal, or something that looks like it, has been seen strolling across roads in front of cars, walking along beaches or hiding out in the bush of the island state.

It has prompted plenty of investigators over the years to traipse through the wild areas of Tasmania looking for signs of the tiger - all to no avail.

The latest of them is film-maker Tim Noonan, who has made the two-part series Hunt For Truth: Tasmanian Tiger.

While I've only seen the first episode, so I don't know if he actually finds one of the creatures, I feel pretty confident in saying that he didn't. If he had, I'm sure I would have heard about it by now.

In fact, he presents evidence that strongly indicates the Tasmanian tiger is not out there somewhere.

In the first episode he speaks to University of Tasmania wildlife researchers who have been placing heaps of remote camera in the wild that take a photo any time an animal walks past one.

Despite those cameras taking thousands of photos of animals, not one of them have shown a tiger. Or an animal that kind of looks like a tiger.

I think it's reasonable to assume that, if there were tigers still out there, at least one of those photos would show them. The fact that they haven't strongly suggests that they don't exist.

In the end, with no concrete evidence to show in his documentary, it means Noonan focuses instead on the people who claim to have seen the animal, which actually ends up being more interesting.

They include a reclusive figure known as "Tigerman" who had spent decades trying to find one. He decides to throw off his anonymity to be interviewed - in part because he's effectively given up on his quest.

Tigerman suggests that finding the tiger in the wild would cause problems for one of the state's key industries in logging. If the animal was found, then logging areas would quickly become off limits.

Another person who claimed to have spotted a tiger strolling along a beach says he saw a helicopter land there the next day and the passengers walk straight to the cave he claimed the tiger disappeared into - though there seems to be no knowledge of who they were.

There's nothing like the suggestion of a cover-up to give a little juice to the story.

Whether or not you believe the tiger is still alive and thriving, there's no doubt Noonan has created a well-made documentary.

It appears to be shot on film rather than video, adding a level of quality to the finished product.

Also, Noonan knows how to tell a story; the narrative doesn't lag or slow down, and ends with a hook - that the Tasmanian tiger might still be alive in Papua New Guinea.