A taxidermy 'fox head' purchased for £50 at a market because it looked goofy has sold for £60,000 at auction after being identified as a thylacine, an extinct marsupial. Natural history enthusiast James Crawford spotted the item in Bristol and, after research, discovered it was not a fox but a thylacine, also known as a Tasmanian tiger.
Rare find
The last known thylacine died at Hobart Zoo, Tasmania, in 1936, and only a few hundred specimens exist, most as skin rugs. Crawford said: 'This was undocumented and undiscovered, and is the only known head in the world. For natural history collectors like myself this is the find of multiple lifetimes – it really is the holy grail.'
Only eight other thylacine specimens are in private hands, with Crawford now owning the ninth. He had hoped for a bargain but faced competition in the auction room.
Auction battle
Crawford, 38, said: 'It was me and just one other person. I had a winning bid for just £28 going into it and thought I would win it for that. It ended up closing at £50,000.' With fees, the total reached £60,000.
Auctioneer Andrew Stowe of Auctioneum Ltd in Bristol said: 'It was quite a shock to discover we were sitting on something so special. The vendor had purchased it simply because the novelty googly eyes attached to it made them laugh.'
Scientific value
The thylacine, native to Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea, was hunted to extinction after European settlers viewed it as a threat to sheep. Crawford confirmed the discovery using its teeth, saying there was 'nothing else it could have been'.
He plans to get it officially authenticated and allow scientific research, saying: 'I just want everyone to know it exists so academics and scientists can contact me to study it. It will be invaluable to science and I want to make it available to institutions.' Stowe added the original seller was 'about to pass out' upon hearing the sale price.
