“A bull-terrier was once set upon a wolf (thylacine) and bailed it up in a niche in some rocks. There the wolf stood, with its back to the wall, turning its head from side to side, checking the terrier as it tried to butt in from alternate and opposite directions. Finally, the dog came in close, and the wolf gave one sharp, fox-like bite, tearing a piece of the dog’s skull clean off, and it fell with the brain protruding, dead.”

Sorry, but there’s no way this Thylacine is ripping a piece of a dog’s skull clean off, let alone a Bull-Terrier’s skull. This Thylacine animal is no larger than a Coyote, and although I would NEVER doubt the ferocity of a cornered animal, the story seems a bit too dramatic for reality. I do believe this animal, as with any wild predator, can do serious damage to a dog, and even kill one, but the fashion in which the story describes it is more out of a horror movie than National Geographic or Animal Planet.

I have never heard of these attacks until now, I live about 20 minutes away from Auburn, Maine in New Gloucester, Maine. And I’m glad I found it. I might do a little poking around here also. As to what these eyewitnesses claim to see, I don’t know. Could be a bobcat, could be something else. These attacks could’ve been carried out by a fisher, I hear those things are extremely dangerous (my grandfather had a run in with one while he was deer hunting). The attacks could’ve been carried out by a Coydog (feral dog). But bigfoot? I don’t think there’s a bigfoot anywhere in Central Maine. It’s too devoloped. Probably in the mountains way up north though. A cougar? They’re supposed to be extinct in Maine, I think..

Hyenas are going to have shoulders higher than their rear quarters and rounder ears set lower on the head, with very powerful jaw muscles for bone crushing. I never did understand why people were saying those poor critters looked like hyenas. The ridge of hair down the back of one may have thrown people off. I’m just talking about the critters that were publicised in Texas, mind you.

The shunka warak’in picture in Loren Coleman’s book has always facinated me because I always thought in looked a little pig-like. I thought initially it might be an entelodont but I don’t think the teeth (or what you can see of them) are right for a pig-like critter. Mind you, I’m no expert on paleo pig dentition. Too bad the feet are not in the photo as they would settle the question. It definitely has a more hyena-like body profile, but a wild pig (not feral hog) would have a similar profile. The head is very strange.

“A bull-terrier was once set upon a wolf (thylacine) and bailed it up in a niche in some rocks. There the wolf stood, with its back to the wall, turning its head from side to side, checking the terrier as it tried to butt in from alternate and opposite directions. Finally, the dog came in close, and the wolf gave one sharp, fox-like bite, tearing a piece of the dog’s skull clean off, and it fell with the brain protruding, dead.”

pretty impressive since bull-terriers aren’t known for being especially easy opponents themselves. i doubt maine’s dog-killer is a thylacine for a number of reasons (one being they are not hyena-like at all in appearence) , but they are a really cool animal. i keep hoping the rumors of them surviving in tasmania will be proven true.
i’d really like to figure out if the whole thing with the creature in sabattus was just BS or if my aqauintence’s story was based on actual occurances in the area (and thus may be connected). unfortunately i have no clue as to how to contact her now.
were any of the witnesses able to distinguish any markings or coloration on the creature?

One of the most amazing things about these animals, I think, is just how wide their jaws open. It’s almost like they have a flip-top head. The first video on the naturalworlds.org website shows “Ben”, the thylacine in the Hobart Zoo, yawning. Creepy.