Hoax April 1 - An extinct marsupial carnivore was rediscovered in Australia

Another marsupial carnivore that lives in the eucalyptus forests of Australia is the "marsupial bear" (Thylacoarctos carnifex), which resembles a large koala with a short tail, which according to conventional wisdom went extinct along with the "marsupial lion" and other giants about 46,000 years ago and now apparently a small population of it has been found

Editor's note, 2/4/2010 time 00:00 Thanks to Yonat Ashchar and Noam Levitan for the idea for the stretch and the execution. Indeed whoever guessed so was right. By the way, also the second puzzling news that appeared yesterday - "positive energies” is a stretch.

The continent of Australia, the largest island in the world, is home to many marsupials. The continent is known for the variety of strange animals that live there, including the kangaroo, the wombat and the koala as well as the egg-laying bib mammals the hedgehog and the duck. But this variety is nothing compared to the wealth of species that roamed Australia years ago: giant koalas that lived in trees like their living relatives today, the giant duck, Procoptodon - a type of giant kangaroo, the largest of which reached a height of three meters, and the "pouch lion" - the large predatory mammal the most who ever lived in Australia. Another marsupial carnivore that lives in the eucalyptus forests of Australia is the "marsupial bear" (Thylacoarctos carnifex), which resembles a large koala with a short tail, which is believed to have become extinct along with the "marsupial lion" and other giants about 46,000 years ago.

The koala is the closest marsupial to the "pouch bear" which is considered the ancestor of modern koalas. The "pocket bear", also called "lurking bear" even though, like the koala, does not belong to the bear family, was rediscovered in Australia in 2009. Researcher April Pryme from Flinders University in Victoria, Australia, who discovered the contemporary population of the dangerous predator, describes the discovery In a new study that will be published this month in the Australian scientific journal Australian beasts and where to find them. The "lurking bear", T. carnifex, was discovered in a remote area of ​​eastern Australia, which was sparsely inhabited by nomadic tribes of aborigines, but research expeditions only recently reached it.

Fossil findings of the paws of the kangaroos showed that they had long fingers and claws that were apparently adapted both for grabbing prey and for climbing trees (see figure). The observations of Prime and her colleagues confirm that, like koalas, koalas do climb trees. The researchers followed for 4 months a group of about 15 individuals of marsupial bears in the area known by the aborigines as Agabul Shietra. During this period there were about 2 or 3 robberies per week on average. But the most interesting detail is the way in which the marsupials get their prey: they usually hide in the tops of the eucalyptus trees until they notice a suitable prey passing below, then they let go of the tree and suddenly fall on its head. This blow is usually enough to stun the prey, and the bear finishes the job with its sharp fangs and claws. This method is apparently very effective: out of 17 hunting attempts that the researchers observed directly, only 4 ended in failure. The bear that hunted the prey eats first, and the rest of the group come down from their trees and wait for him to finish, then they pounce on the leftovers. Both males and females hunt. At the time the study was conducted, there were 2 cubs in the group, who clung to the backs of their cubs as is the custom of koalas, and fell together with them, clinging tightly to the fur. In reports in the local press about the discovery of the lurking bear, it is humorously referred to as "drop bear", due to this hunting method.

The prey of the lurking bear are 3 species of kangaroo, and a species of warthog that is common in the area. The aboriginal tribes that live in the area told of cases where the bears hunted people who were walking alone in the forest. In order to deter them, the locals usually incorporate pointed sticks into their hair. The researchers themselves wore helmets from which long metal spikes protruded, as a means of protection.

According to the signs, there are at least 2 more groups of marsupials in nearby areas, but the size of the population is still unknown. The researchers have not yet been able to get close enough to the koalas to take a DNA sample, or to closely examine their unique physiology, which allows them to fall from a height of ten meters or more unscathed. Taking the samples and tracking the koalas will allow "to learn a lot about the evolution of the koalas, and especially about their unique diet. It seems that the pocket bear doesn't drink either, but gets all the water it needs from its food. But in the case of T. carnifex it is prey and not just eucalyptus leaves." says Prime. Cases in which a living population of a species that is considered extinct is discovered are very rare, according to her: "This discovery provides an extraordinary opportunity to examine the genome, the soft tissues and the way of life of an animal that all we have known to date has been like a fossil."