By the time the first European explorers arrived, the animal was already extinct in mainland Australia and New Guinea, and rare in Tasmania. Europeans may have encountered it in Tasmania as far back as 1642, when Abel Tasman first arrived in Tasmania.

The Thylacine appears to have vanished as a consequence of the interaction with the Dingo and possibly hunting stress from humans, while the exact causes of the Thylacine's disappearance from continental Australia remain unknown. On the Australian continent, thylacine went extinct at least 2000 years ago. 

Benjamin, a Tasmanian tiger kept in a zoo in its native Tasmania, turned out to be the last surviving live species. By the time Benjamin arrived at the zoo, the Tasmanian government had finally realized the need for tiger protection and passed legislation. The last Tasmanian tiger perished from exposure just 59 days after the law was enacted because a careless zookeeper locked Benjamin out of his protected area on a chilly night.

The urge to hunt for survival has risen tremendously throughout time due to the population's constant growth. While excessive hunting carried out just to meet human desires may be stopped, it is still very much alive and well. The damage that overhunting has done to the environment—from species extinction to endangerment—is so great that it must be stopped at all costs.

Through this act, the source of food, shelter, and habitat is reduced when trees and other types of vegetation are lost. Wildlife habitats become broken, forcing native species to survive on isolated islands of habitat in an area that has been disturbed for agricultural purposes and other uses. Abuse and exploitation, looting, wind, radiation, exotic plant and animal species overtaking residual forest habitat, and other variables including direct exposure to environmental catastrophes that were not as significant of a concern before the deforestation event all contribute to increased danger.