thylacines were hunted because farmers said they were killing sheep. the tasmanian government gave money to farmers for each thylacine they killed. the last thylacine shot and killed was at mawbanna, tasmania, on 13 may, 1930, by farmer wilfred batty. the government brought in laws to protect them a few months before the last one died. they are now extinct, which means there are no thylacines left alive anywhere in the world.