Jimena took Ike to Launceston, the second largest city in Tasmania, after Hobart. The sculptures in these photographs are located in Civic Square, and respresent the thylacine, also known as the Tasmania tiger.
The thylacine is thought to be extinct, read more about this carnivorous marsupial here, and arguments for its de-extinction here, including footage of the last known thylacine, who tragically died from neglect at Hobart Zoo in 1936. And for a more detailed study why not watch this:
Ike also enjoyed visiting the John Hart Conservatory in City Park:
The video clip about the evolution of Thylacine and Canine comparative anatomy takes me back to my zoological studies in the mid-1980s. It is terrible that this animal joined the long list of other extinctions such as the Moa bird in Australia and New Zealand because of being over hunted by humankind. Unfortunately, cloning will not bring this majestic creature back to pre-extinction numbers. These animals occupied a specialist niche in the food chain – predators, which cannot be recreated by genetic manipulation.