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Speaker 1: Yao. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,

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where you suggest the animal for us to write a

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story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand

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new animal story here just for you. There are over

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four hundred and fifty animal tales now and all are

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available on our premium service alongside over eighty premium only

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stories for a tiny fee. They are all advert free.

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Hugo is from Tasmania and he would like a story

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with a rhino, a Tasmanian tiger, a platypus, and an echidnaer.

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You can learn more about these creatures in the Animal

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facts after the story. Now settle back, relax, and I'll

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begin a Tasmanian discovery. Hugo wanted to write a book.

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He'd wanted to for a long time, but the young

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Rhino had struggled to come up with a good idea.

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All his ideas were either too complicated or had been

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done before. But then one day he had a brilliant idea.

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He would write a book about animals that were extinct.

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Extinct animals were fascinating but also a little sad at

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the same time. Now those animals were gone, it was

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easy to forget that they'd ever existed, but not if

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Hugo could help it. He could think of the mammoth,

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the dodo, and the Tyrannosaurus Rex straight away, but there

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were so many others. By writing about them, he'd be

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able to keep the memory of them alive within the

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pages of his book and with love in the hearts

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of his readers. So with which animal should he start?

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After much thought, he decided to begin with the Tasmanian tiger.

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Hugo began his research about the Tasmanian tiger by reading

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all about it on the Internet and by borrowing books

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from the library. The most surprising thing he'd discovered was

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that Tasmanian tiger had only been extinct for less than

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one hundred years. They had lived on the island of Tasmania,

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and like kangaroos and koalas, were marsupials. They had looked

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similar to a fox or a dog, but with stripes

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down the lower half of their back, and it was

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those stripes that had earned it its name of the

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Tasmanian tiger. All this information was a good start, but

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Hugo felt he needed more. That was when he realized

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he should traveled to the island of Tasmania itself. So

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he booked his ticket from Kenya to Australia, and off

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he went. Tasmania was off Australia's south coast, covered in

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thick forests and rocky mountains. Hugo arrived there, stopping at

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a small coastal town populated by platypuses, wombats, and other

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familiar Australian creatures. Maybe one of these animals will be

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a Tasmanian tiger expert, he thought. Maybe one is a

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professor who has studied them, or might have had grandparents

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who had once lived alongside a living Tasmanian tiger. It

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was an exciting thought. Hugo's eye was immediately drawn to

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the town's library. This would be a great place to start.

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Librarians were great sources of information. If they didn't know

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an answer, then they knew where to look. Hugo pushed

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open the heavy library door, and the very first thing

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he saw almost made him topple back through It. Sat

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behind the counter reading a book was a Tasmanian tiger.

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Hugo blinked, rubbed his eyes and had another look. The

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very much alive Tasmanian tiger was still sat there, although

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she was too engrossed in her book to notice the

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baffled rhino until he took an awkward step forward. Hello,

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she said, snapping her book shut. Can I help you?

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Hugo looked down at her name tag It said Tara. Hello, Tara,

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said Hugo slowly. I'm really sorry if this is an

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odd question, but you are Tasmanian tiger. Tara laughed. Oh, yes,

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well you could say that, she giggled. Although around here

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we prefer the name Thilocene. I see, said Hugo. And

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when you say we, how many thylocenes are we talking about? Oh?

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I'm not sure, said Tara thoughtfully. We tend to live

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quiet lives. We're lone as you see, right, and sorry,

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just one more question, said Hugo, taking a deep breath.

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Are you aware that the rest of the world thinks

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that you're extinct? It was the Tasmanian Tiger's turn to

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look surprised. Extinct Tara repeated, how old I know. I'm

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quite shy and tend to keep to myself, but I'm

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definitely not extinct. I can see that, said Hugo. Well,

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thank you for answering. Why are the questions, wondered Tara.

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I was going to write a book about extinct animals,

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explained Hugo, and start with Tasmanian tigers. But now I

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guess I'd best go home and think again. Oh what

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a shame, said Tara. Have you traveled far all the

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way from Kenya, said the rhino. You know, it really

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is strange that the world thinks that the Tasmanian tiger

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is extinct. As he said these words, something occurred to him.

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I was going to write the wrong book, he declared.

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How do you mean, asked Tara, Because of you, said Hugo.

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You're the story. You're what the book should be about.

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But I'm just a librarian, protested Tara meekly. And you're

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also an animal that the world thinks no longer exists.

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Hugo gushed, I'll write a book about how we thought

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that Tasmanian tiger was extinct but we were wrong. I

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can interview you and write all about you. It'll be

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a best seller, it will, asked Tara. Doubtfully. I'm sure

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nobody will want to read about me. I'm really not

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that interesting. Oh but you are, Hugo disagreed. The horn

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on the end of his nose bobbing up and down

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as he nodded. You're an amazing discovery. Animals will come

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from far and wide just to meet you. But the

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Tasmanian tiger looked unsure. I don't really like much attention,

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she said, But your story is so important, Hugo insisted,

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is it, said Tara doubtfully. Well, you do seem very

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sure about it. All, that's the spirit, said Hugo, pulling

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out his notepad. I'll start writing some questions right away,

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and perhaps a photo shoot, maybe meet the press. Oh,

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and I'll need to know your family history. Hugo was

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jotting down his thoughts as his mind buzzed with ideas,

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but in all his enthusiasm, he didn't once notice the

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nervous look upon the Tasmanian tiger's face. Tara, though despite

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her reluctance, didn't want to let the rhino down. She

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shared her life history and family with Hu Hugo, and

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even introduced him to the other animals in town who

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knew her. Tara, Oh, yes, lovely girl keeps to herself, mostly,

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said the platypus who owned the grocery store. She's never

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been one for the spotlight, said a bandicoot. If I'm honest,

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I'm surprised that she's even doing this book. Only Thylacene

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I've ever met, said an Echidna. Although my grandpappy knew

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a couple, he said, they rarely left their house like Tara.

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They were on the shy side. Everyone clearly thought a

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lot of Tara, and all said what a quiet private

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animal she was. And nobody he spoke to knew of

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another Thylacene. This didn't stop Hugo from working on his book.

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With Tara's help, he soon had a finished manuscript he

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could present to a publisher, and once he had a publisher,

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the book would be printed. He was already daydreaming about

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it flying off the shelves. Maybe he'd even become famous.

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He was so sure that publishers would want to sign

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him up that he decided to invite as many as

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possible to the town. There he could reveal all his

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hard work alongside Tara. It would be an auction, and

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he'd sign up with whichever publisher offered him the best deal.

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It would be sensational. The publishers were invited to attend

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an event the following week. Hugo set up a small

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stage and seating in the town square. Although the people

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of the town suspected the book was about Tara, nobody

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knew for sure, and all the publishers knew was that

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Hugo had said it was something very very special. They

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duly arrived and took their seats, with the locals gathering

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around to watch. Are you looking forward to meeting every one, Tara,

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Hugo asked behind the stage. They'll have so many questions

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for you, but do remember to keep something secret. We

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still want them to buy the book. I'll try, was

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all the Tasmanian Tiger could reply. Hugo peered past the

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stage at the assembled crowd and grinned. He could hardly

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contain his excitement. In a moment, he would reveal that

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Tasmanian Tiger to the publishers, get his book deal and

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become a best selling author. He already had plans for

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Tara and himself to go on a world tour. I'd

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best get things started, Tara, said Hugo gleefully. Are you

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ready to become famous? Oh? I don't need all that,

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Tara blushed. I'm happy to help you know, answer some questions,

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but then all I want to do is head back

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to my library. You can forget about the library, Hugo said.

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After this, we'll need to leave Tasmania. We will, whimpered Tara.

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Of course, Hugo said, We'll need to start drumming up

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some excitement for the book. I've got a list of

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thirty seven countries that will need to visit. We'll have

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to meet scientists and other authors, and presidents and journalists.

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Everyone will want to talk to you. You're the animal

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that beat extinction. Tara looked horrified. It wasn't the response

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he'd been expecting. Tara, are you all right, the rhino asked.

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I thought you would be as excited as I am, Hugo.

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I wasn't expecting all of that, she said quietly. I

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was hoping to stay in my quiet town with my

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kind neighbors and my lovely books. But I don't want

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to let you down. I'll do my best. I'll try

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to get used to it. I'm sure I'll be fine.

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Despite the waiting publishers all seated before the stage, and

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the surrounding crowd, all waiting to see what was happening,

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Hugo at last took a moment to think but you

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won't be fine, will you? He said gently. Oh, Tara,

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I'm so very sorry. I've been so caught up in

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the excitement of meeting you and the book that I

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haven't once thought about what you want. Tara smiled nervously

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but said nothing. I haven't been thinking about you at all,

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he admitted, turning to walk on to the stage. The

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book about you was a foolish idea, but I aim

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to put that right. But what about the publishers, she asked, worriedly.

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Leave that to me, he said, and walked on to

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the stage to applause from the audience. Hello, publishers, thank

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you all for coming. As many of you may know,

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that Tasmanian tiger, also known as the Thylocene, has been

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extinct for almost one hundred years. But to day, I'm

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here to announce. He turned towards the edge of the stage,

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where Tara was waiting out of sight. I'm here to

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announce my new book about this amazing animal. It's about

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an animal we'll never get to meet again. But thanks

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to some amazing collaborations with the animals of this town,

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I'm going to be able to show the thylacine in

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such a way that you'd believe it was still alive

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to day. It's going to be a book like no other,

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about a creature like no other. Hugo talked, and the

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publishers listened before asking questions of their own. It certainly

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was a unique idea for a book, and it got

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plenty of interest. By the time Hugo was done and

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the event was over, he had struck a deal his

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book would be published. You didn't mention me at all,

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said a grateful Tara afterwards. No, I didn't, Hugo nodded.

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You deserve your privacy and your quiet life. You don't

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need to be paraded before the world, not if you

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don't want to. It means a few changes to my book,

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but it's nothing I can't manage. I'm so relieved, smiled Tara.

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I really didn't want to give up all this, Hugo

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smiled back. As far as the world is concerned, that

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Tasmanian tiger will remain extinct, But just maybe after they

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read my book, they'll know the thilacene just a little

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bit better. Just not the fact that one is working

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in Tasmania as a librarian. Animals fat rhinos are often

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said to have poor eyesight, but there's little evidence to

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back this up. A recent study suggests they may be

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able to see as well as a rabbit, rat seal.

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Tasmanian tigers, or thylocenes, were until recently the largest marsupial carnivore.

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Their front ends resembled a dog, while the back ends

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had a stiff tail like a kangaroo's and were covered

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with around fifteen stripes. On the Australian mainland, the Tasmanian

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tiger has been extinct for two thousand years, but it

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survived on Tasmania for much longer, meaning we even have

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photographs of it. Thank you for your suggestions, Hugo. We

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hope that you all enjoyed the story. Wherever you're listening

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in the world, don't forget to look for our Animal

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Tales books over on Amazon great bedtime reading, especially if

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you've discovered the joy of reading for yourself. Make sure

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you join us next time for another great animal tail.

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Good Bye,