Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger

by Margaret Mittelbach, Michael Crewdson, Alexis Rockman (Illustrator)

Packing an off-kilter sense of humor and keen scientific minds, Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson, along with renowned artist Alexis Rockman, take off on a postmodern safari. Their mission? Tracking down the elusive Tasmanian tiger. Tragically, this mysterious, striped predator was hunted into extinction in the early part of the twentieth century. Or was it?
Journeying first to the Australian mainland and then south to the wild island of Tasmania, these young naturalists brave a series of bizarre misadventures and uproarious wildlife encounters in their obsessive search for the long-lost beast. Filled with Rockman’s stunning drawings of flora and fauna originally crafted from river mud, wombat scat, and even the artist’s own blood, Carnivorous Nights is a hip and hilarious account of an unhinged safari, as well as a fascinating portrayal of a wildly unique part of the world.
Carniverous Nights
One of the New York Public Library's "25 Books to Remember from 2005"

A New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2006 selection

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Travel, Animals, Nature, Australia, Natural History

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is.............odd. Essentially, two Americans decided that they should go to Tasmania to try and find a thylacine, the last living specimen of which died in a zoo in 1936. Their reasons for doing so go largely unmentioned, as do the reasons why they're SO CONVINCED throughout the course of the book that they're definitely going to see an animal that was declared extinct in the 1980s (animals cannot be declared extinct until 50 years after the last confirmed sighting).

They also seem to have...not done a huge amount of research prior to starting off on this thylacine search. Like, they're surprised to learn that Tasmania is part of Australia and that English is spoken there. WTF.

The entire book is written in the first person plural, which was INCREDIBLY grating for me, particularly when it says things like "we dreamed" and "we stumbled" and "we realised we only had hiking boots with us". Add in the fact that they're accompanied on this journey by a bizarre artist who makes paint out of animal shit and seems to spend about half the book smoking pot, and it was...frustrating.

I hope they tipped their rental car company EXTREMELY well, given how they repeatedly talked about Alexis (the artist) filling the car with roadkill and bags of wombat or Tasmania devil scat to use in his art and how bad the car smells. There's one (unfortunately) memorable scene in which he decides he's going to use a leech to make pigment, and "we" take a living leech and mash it into paste using a ballpoint pen(??????), at which point Alexis decides it's not liquidy enough and has "us" stab him in the finger with a sewing needle so he can add his own blood to the "paint".

Add in the fact that Tasmania's Indigenous population are repeatedly referred to as "aboriginals" where Australian convention (admittedly, the book was published in the US, but STILL) would dictate using "Tasmanian Aboriginal people" or "Indigenous Tasmanians", and I spent a lot of this book cringing.

Basically, this book is the story of some ignorant Americans who thought they'd see in a couple of weeks what nobody's had a confirmed sighting of in almost a hundred years, despite die hard thylacine believers spending decades searching for scat and footprints and living specimens. They travel around Tasmania, interviewing interested parties, most of whom are like "Look, I'd LOVE for someone to find a living thylacine. But all evidence suggests it's not going to happen". And yet they still expect to see a thylacine around every corner.

In short, it's almost like going to the Montana badlands and expecting to see a velociraptor because this one time Alan Grant saw a live dinosaur but has literally no proof of it.

I'm about 85% sure this one is going to get weeded from our collection at work. I can't imagine it's going to prove helpful to any students researching thylacines. Unless they want to know how to make paint out of wombat shit and leeches...

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book I thought I was really going to enjoy it, but then, after reading a bit and mulling on it, I changed my mind. There was one thing I couldn't get my head around, and that was the constant use of the first person plural (at least, I think that's what you call it). The authors, and there were two, would constantly refer to themselves as "we", which I guess is understandable, but it just didn't work. It felt like the queen was writing the damn thing, and it didn't just apply to "we went here", or "we did this", but "we dreamt this" and "we thought this". That doesn't happen. Ever.
Everytime this happened the whole book seemed to cave in: the story stopped and the world came back. That's not a good thing to happen in a book.
I think the thing that saved Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger for me was the fact that I read it very slowly. I kept going back to i becuase I kept forgetting how annoying it is to hear "we said" et all., and I could cope with it in small chunks because the story, and the message, are really very good.
It's a good, fun book, with plenty of facts and anecdotes. There's some fascinating people, sad stories, and a bit of hope (which is always nice!) as well. A good book for people who care about trees and animals and who vote Green.
I changed my mind again and did really enjoy it! All I can say is this: read it slowly , and try not to get too bogged down with all the we-ing, you might learn something, and you probably will get a little bit curious about the thylacine - I can't wait to get to Tasmania!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an American living in Australia who is interested in the native wildlife, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quirky mix of travelogue, information on Tasmanian fauna and flora, and an American perspective. Though it is packed with good information and has additional reading materials in the back, it is not an indexed authority on any subject. It is more the recording of three Americans traveling to Australia to learn more about the elusive and sadly probably extinct Tasmanian Tiger. As such it contains the flaws of those Americans including frequent drug use by the artist member of the team and unclean language which doesn't bother me, but may bother others. Personally, I don't expect much else from three New Yorkers traveling abroad.

The only thing I found particularly annoying in the book is that as it is written by two authors they referred to themselves constantly as "we" which was a style that I didn't really like. Although all the artists comical exploits and views were explored, the authors were strangely impersonal and hid effectively behind "we". The reader does not learn much about the individual authors or their relationship to each other outside their shared Tasmanian experience.

I found the book to be fast paced and an easy read. If you are looking for a serious authority on the Tiger or other aspects of Tasmania, this isn't the right book, but it may be light reading next to something more authoritative. I read through some of the negative Amazon reviews and found them to be fairly accurate though the complaints were things that took away from my enjoyment of the book, but if you are considering the book, I would recommend reading through them.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it - as a native Tasmanian I love reading books that have a familiar setting as they are sadly few and far between. Add the bonus of finding out more about one of Tasmania's icons, the Tasmanian Tiger and I was really looking forward to this.

Strangely, the book is written in first person plural - which wouldn't have been so bad but for the references to things that 'we' did such as 'we dreamed' and 'we imagined'. In fact, it's so vague that it's only by doing some research outside the book that I managed to find out who the 'we' actually were. Unfortunately this strange narrative wasn't the only issue I had - the other characters were actually quite wanky - their jokes and attempts at being clever were quite flat, and their idea that they would actually 'rediscover' a species that vanished nearly 80 years ago in a few short weeks was just plain weird Sure, I understand that they wanted to be positive, but it was just a bit too much.

What I did enjoy was the investigation into Tasmanian wildlife, the story of the demise of the Tasmanian Tiger and the very Tasmanian people that they met along the way. The author did an excellent job of portraying truthfully the openness and strange habits of the people of Tasmania, without being condescending. The book also contains pictures created by Alexis, which he made with various organic materials he picked up along the way which was an added bonus.

Although this book had some faults, and did start to drag a little in the middle, I think what made it for me was the familiarity of the places, the people, and the overall relaxed atmosphere of Tasmania. I think it would also make an interesting read for non-natives - after all, where else in the world would you find an animal with a duck bill, that lives underwater, lays eggs in it's pouch and has poisonous spurs on its hind legs, for which there is no anti-venom?

Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie

[Michael Livingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kind of gonzo nature book, with a group of New Yorkers traipsing around Tassie getting high and trying to track down the Tasmanian tiger. It's filled with great characters, fun anecdotes and plenty of fascinating facts. The writing is clear and funny at times, but the collective first person pronoun style of narration ('we almost fell', 'we dreamed about Tassie devils' etc) grated a bit. It's ultimately a sad story, about the ways in which humans destroy the environment - the sections at the end really drive home the point that we've barely learned any lessons from the disasters like the extinction of the thylacine.

[Jsrott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, if ultimately very depressing book about two biologists and an artist looking for the possibility of the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, still existing. Along the way we are treated to a tour of the flora and fauna of Tasmania, and the battle between protecting the native species and the relentless attempts to drain Tasmania of its natural resources. The characters are fun, especially the artist, whose works are found throughout the book. While the hunt doesn't bring up any new evidence, it does put a spotlight on the callous nature of loggers, herders, and generally just about everyone with an eye on profit when it comes to conservation.

[Smellsofbikes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, very depressing book about a contemporary (fairly low-intensity) search for the Tasmanian Tiger. It discusses a number of other strange Tasmanian animals and spends a fair amount of time on the history of the tiger itself, and on sightings/evidence since 1936.

[Liz Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-described and interesting not only for its facts about the Tasmanian Tiger, but fascinating for its details about other wildlife and facts about Tasmania. This is a great example of what travel literature and nature literature should be.

[Ethan Nahté · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger is a nonfiction journey where an interesting look at a pair of journalists who take a trip to Australia and Tasmania along with an artist and a couple of his companions. Their quarry: Seeking proof that the Tasmanian Tiger (a.k.a. Tasmanian Wolf) is not extinct. They follow up on recent, as well as 70-year-old, eyewitness sightings of the tiger, believed extinct since 1936.

Along the way, Mittelbach provides what is more or less a daily journal as the team interviews various eyewitnesses, including Wildlife officers, scientists, and investigators who have been hunting for the tiger for decades in hopes of also proving it is still alive. During the course of their travels, they learn a lot about the the rare,and even unique wildlife and plantlife of Tasmania, from several marsupials to the humongous freshwater lobster. They also learn a lot of the country's history, not only relating to the tiger, but how the penal colony developed. In doing so, their discoveries reveal that many of the country's national resources and wildlife are still being extirpated, or close to it, due to big money. The team deals with many groups on both sides who are potentially destroying the natural surroundings and those who are attempting to protect what is left. It's pretty sobering. Seeing as how the book was published in 2005, hopefully some of the issues Mittlebach and crew came across have been rectified and Tasmania hasn't lost many important or unusual species of flora and fauna.

Overall, this book was a fun read and written in a very enjoyable style. It's not too stuffy or overly scientific like a text book or thesis. Even the dialogue and certain incidents might be surprising to those expecting a scientific journal. Artist Alexis Rockman comes across as a bit flaky (nothing unusual there) but I find most of his rhetoric annoying, as well as the couple of people he brought along who were not meant to be out of the confines of the city. His art that peppers each chapter and his style of working is quite interesting, though.

Learning so much about Tasmania's animals, beyond the Tasmanian devil or kangaroo, was quite interesting. The book is worth the read for any history readers or those who enjoy the natural world.

[Alger Smythe-Hopkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book trying so hard to be loved and fun that it simply annoys.

Think of a Golden Retriever puppy with a coke habit. THAT is the tone of this book.

For me, the combination of trying-too-hard-to-be-loved writing style, the first/second person narrative voice, their unfortunate need to place themselves at the center of every scene, and the remarkably fractured attention span was simply unreadable even though I was actively excited in the topic of Tasmanian bio-geography. There is something like a 60:40 split in the content of this book, 60% authors observing their own too-cute-new-yorkers-out-of-water selves to 40% superficial observations of the OMG! How Weird is that!!!! Tasmanian environment. Because the idiot authors are above average idiots, the reader is left with a better description of how to buy dope in Sydney than of any native wildlife. I feel this is a serious shortcoming in a book I wanted to read for the Tasmanian Tiger.

I hate these authors for being idiots who wasted my time with this book. Special note to the authors: You two are NOT CUTE so please shut up.

And their traveling companion, the artist with the dope habit and the magazine quality bikini model girlfriend?, his wispy monochrome watercolor art sucks, he is an ass, and his role in the portions of this book that I didn't skip over could have been performed equally well by a strip of quality wall paper.

[Mantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely something. It was a really interesting read and for the most part it flowed really well. It was funny and educational. The artist was certainly an odd fellow and as much as I would love to think the Thylacine is still out there the authors consistent thought of "maybe we'll see one!" Got a little old.
I guess it's good to have enthusiasm, I don't don't know what they, as a group of americans there's on a limited trip, thought they could do differently or with better results than the tasmanian people who have dedicated their lives trying to do.

Otherwise I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting travelogue and they interviewed a lot of interesting people.

[Richard Velazquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad yet wondrous tale

This book really shines when discussing the history of Tasmania and describing its unique wildlife. Having spent some time in Tasmania, I enjoyed reading their travel plans and excursions. At some points the narration goes into seemingly unnecessary details about their activities and interpersonal interactions, coming off almost as a travel blog, which I found distracting and kept me from devouring the book (no pun intended). At the end of the day, I'm glad I found and read this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure this book doesn't have a great crowd appeal, but I totally loved it. It's like a memoir of these Americans who go to Tasmania to search for a thylacine. They went to a lot of places I had been and similar language and culinary experiences. I like that it mentioned but didn't overdo the previously reported sightings and history. It was mostly "hey, here's what we did and who we met on our adventure."

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book out as part of a 'Blind Date With a Book' from a local indie bookstore..

I really wanted to like this book, I did. The idea that there may still be thylacines still romping around Tasmania would be quite amazing, and as I finished this book I had two thoughts - 1) I'm keeping my fingers crossed they're still in some dense, untamed area, and 2), that book took way too long to read. Some of it was quite interesting, but after awhile it became just downright tedious to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 stars for Tasmanian tigers. 1 star for the authors.

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look, I’ve always been fascinated by the Tasmanian Tiger, so when I found this book in an eclectic naturalist-themed bookstore I was ecstatic—and then severely disappointed.

The entire thing read as if the writers were ignorant, clueless, and shells-of-people. Sure they detailed their friend and his companions—who, if I’d been any of them, would’ve been severely unhappy with how irritably anything about them was described—but anything about the writers themselves? Names? Ages? Pronouns? Pets? Interests? Credentials? There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Hell, the entire thing was written in an obnoxious first-person-plural (“we flipped a coin” “we thought” “we said”) and that was the sole thing that even implied there were two people on this expedition in addition to their unlikable companions.
And along those lines, the voice of the narrators drifted between judgmental, embarrassed, and indifferent. Sure, you could argue that when describing the various histories of an animal or plant or organization that it should be indifferent, but the awkward way in which those informational pieces were spliced into the narrative text were as boring as if out of a high school textbook. And the reviews, if anything, had promised me a highly entertaining read. (Spoiler alert: I wasn’t entertained.)

The Tasmanian Tiger and the search for one is a fascinating, alluring endeavor. It’s hope and desperation and yearning and dedication. But somehow the writers made it seem, well… pathetic. They bumbled from one place to another, into animals I’ve loved for years, inspiring not one bit of awe or inspiration or even sentimentality. The only reason I kept reading was for a gleaning of Tiger information I might not have known, and to have a better glimpse at the people they interviewed, many who I would love to speak to but will most likely never have the chance.

In short? This novel had poor attempts at humor, flavorless travel montages, and a main cast of a “we” duo who were as interesting as a first-person-insert in a video game + a talented artist who was uncomfortably comfortable with bestiality, obsessed with pot, and made crude comments throughout.

My recommendation? Skip this one.

[Joree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book because I love the artwork of Alexis Rockman.

I thoroughly enjoyed the humor and earnestness of the authors throughout their journey.

Tasmanian flora and fauna were described in vivid detail. I felt transported to the forests and beaches and lonely roads of the breakaway island. I learned so much while marveling at Rockman's paintings and rooting for the authors in their quest.

If you're interested in rare species, ecological concerns, cryptozoology or travel/journey writing with humor, this is for you.

[Marcus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aiming for an off-beat travelogue, but comes across as a little silly & even pointless, though it is interesting to hear of people's alleged sightings of the titular animal, the interludes tend to be sentimental and childish. The whole book also seems to focus on the famous artist that accompanies them, but he's not that famous and not that interesting compared to the lost tiger.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and educational. I'd recommend it.

(I say educational because although the book is about a hunt for a probably extinct animal, they also spend a lot of time discussing Tasmania's wildlife and ecology - and Tasmania has a lot of wildlife that's strange and rare, even by Australian standards.)

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

We thought this book was good. It made us realize what a bunch of scumbags the human race is. The Tasmanian tiger was already the state emblem of Tasmania when they hunted it to death. We think that’s sad.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, but I am heavily biased towards any stories about the Tasmanian Tiger. There are some excellent parts with historical tidbits, but it's mainly a story about the author's trip to Tasmania, interviews with locals and researchers. I was thoroughly entertained.

[Tess Falco · Rating 3 out of 5]

More travel novel than serious nonfiction, but full of delightfully described science and incisive commentary on Tasmania, its people, and its wildlife. Veers occasionally into frivolity, sometimes at the cost of the message, but a fun bedtime read nonetheless.

[Caroline Coward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful combination of travelogue, history, and natural description of the Tasmanian thylacine and its Tassie enthusiasts.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

certainly an interesting read. and learned quite a bit from reading it. i found myself thinking well what about the tiger. I finished with more questions than answers. 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book. Gives a good picture of Tasmania.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book. The authorial "we" kept throwing me off at first, but I got accustomed to it. It is not, I think, an overly serious book. They are serious in thei search for the Tasmaian Tiger, but there are a lot of odd incidents and quite a few humorous ones thrown in during their search around New Zealand. They also meet some very interesting people who are hunting for the tiger.

Well worth reading.

[Wendy Feltham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carnivorous Nights, published in 2005, tells the story of two science writers and their illustrator buddy traveling through Tasmania hoping to see the probably extinct Tasmanian Tiger. Following the arrival of Europeans and their sheep farms, these unique animals were hunted for bounties and shot as pests. The authors and their clever companion, often high on marijuana, visit places known for possible sightings over the past few decades, since the last captive one died in a zoo. They meet with experts ranging from scientists to rangers to farmers, as well as conservationists trying their best to stop the clear cutting of old growth in rain forests, critical habitat for wildlife. The travelers also focus on the fascinating endemic critters of Tasmania that are not yet extinct-- the wombats, Tasmanian Devils, a giant crayfish, platypuses, and quolls. Alexis Rockman's black and white paintings enhance the narrative, showing us these animals, especially when we learn how he incorporates local ingredients into his paint. This book is fun to read, and filled with wonderful stories; it's a portrait of Tasmania showing the best and worst.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I had known about the Tasmanian Devil, but not the Tasmanian Tiger. The Tasmanian Tiger was a dog-like marsupial that could be a long a six feet from nose to tip of tail. His jaw opened 120 degrees and had multiple dark stripes across this back and rear, which is why it was names after the tiger.

The artwork in the book by Alexis Rockman is utterly fantastic and adds a dramatic depth to the book. Never having traveled to Tasmania (and how many of us truly have), I had not clue as to what most of the wildlife looks like. Thanks to Alexis and his remarkable way of painting, the reader can fully grasp the splendor of these animals.

As for the authors, their witty writing keeps the reader turning pages to see if they will discover a living thylacine. As I was reading, I was both hoping they would find one, and then again I hoped that they wouldn't. I hate to see any animal driven to extinction because of mankind, and I would love to see this animal running around the island again. They would have to find an entire colony of these animals to being them back from the brink of extinction. S

o, you ask me, "Did they find a thylacine?" Well, I certainly am not going to tell you. You are going to have to pick up a copy of Carnivorous Nights and read it to find out. You won't be disappointed.

I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly, I am just happy I am finally done. Yippeee. I read this as a read-aloud to my thylacine-obsessed daughter (9 y.o.) and it took a LONG time. (Even she was mystified by the use of the weird "royal We" thing that the authors' used ALWAYS even when describing THEIR nouns which can't be collective (dreams?))*

Anyway - mostly we read it for their journey through New Zealand to find out more about the thylacine - why they disappeared (or not) and the people that are still looking for them. Along the way we learned more about lots of other New Zealand creatures and saw lots of cool artwork by the anti-hero artist that tagged along.

*Be aware that it isn't really an appropriate read-aloud for 9 year old. There is a need for lots of discussion (or heavy editing) around various topics, mostly pot-smoking. By the way, authors, I think you should write a children's picture book version with the same illustrations. There is a big need for thylacine books in our nation's libraries!!

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B. says she liked it but she wished it was more about thylacines and that they had gotten to see one. (I bet they did too.)

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the thylacine and looked forward to reading this book for quite sometime. Although first chapters were pretty exciting and interesting it started to get a bit dull toward the center and downright tedious at the end.

I agree with one of the other reviewers. It would have made an excellent long article in the New Yorker or something but it's 20 some chapters wear thin and become pretty formulaic.

1) We go to this place to look for the thylacine.

2) We meet a colorful character.

3) Weird things happen and we end up learning about another animal.

It is a great read if you're looking for a fun way to get an overview of the flora and fauna of Tasmania, which I enjoyed but i was ultimately disappointed.

Also, it was written by two authors and the chose to constantly say "we" which took some getting used to in the early pages.