A farmer managed to capture an animal that was thought to have become extinct 130 years ago in Australia without his knowledge

In Australia, a farmer defending his chickens from attacks by a suspected cat witnessed a cat and temporarily captured it Spotted tailIt is a species believed to have become extinct more than 130 years ago in the south of the aforementioned country.

It is also called tiger quoll One of the birds was killed Bao Ling TsaiWho was able to catch the rare specimen thanks to a trap he set in his garden. When the man approached to see the predator that had caught him, he noticed the strange animal.

“I was expecting to find a cat, but instead I found this little animal. It was incredible! At first I had no idea what it was,” he said. ABC South East SA.

Although the tiger managed to escape, the farmer contacted the South Australian Wildlife and National Parks Service, which set up a trap, through which they were able to capture the specimen, but they do not know if it was the same animal that entered the property. By Tsai.

Limestone Coast ranger Ross Anderson explained that the spotted-tailed marsupial lives in other parts of Australia, but in the south of the country it has not been seen for more than 130 years, making this case a unique event.

“It’s the first official record in that time period. There have been some unofficial sightings, but no one has actually photographed an animal with it in its hand for that long. It’s amazing that something we thought was extinct has turned up at our back door,” Anderson said.

According to the Australian Conservation Foundation, this animal is threatened with extinction across the continent and is vulnerable in Tasmania. Furthermore, it is estimated that only 14,000 specimens remain in the wild.

The species caught by the keepers was taken to the vet, where it was treated for mange and hair samples were taken to collect its DNA. It is also reported that it will be returned to nature.

Finally, Anderson expected that they would use cameras and traps to discover if there were more specimens in the area, for research and protection purposes, so local residents were forbidden from interfering in this process.