TV personality and wildlife commentator Forrest Galante doesn’t have a great reputation these days. His show Extinct or Alive was criticized for exploiting the work of real researchers for his own personal gain.
See
- Wanted: ‘Extinct or Alive’
- The Damage Forrest Galante Has Done to Conservation Biology
- In the Bombast of an American TV Host, Colonial Science Lives On
He is particularly enamored with the continued existence of the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger). He wants to believe so much that he seems to fall for dubious claims that other experts would be seriously skeptical about.
He claims to have seen a photo of jaw from remains that looked like a thylacine. That was from several years ago and appeared to go nowhere. He never had confirmed the photos or the claim but did ask for his audience to help him fund a trip there to the tune of $5 million. It seemed he did not get the money.
In late April, 2024, Galante was contacted by American tourists who said they had encountered a thylacine while visiting Tasmania. The claim was accompanied by photos of what clearly is supposed to be a thylacine. Galante interviewed one of the witnesses on YouTube.
Shortly after, some of the internet audience took it upon themselves to investigate the photos and discovered they were definitely hoaxed. The problem with some of the photos were quite obvious but Galante didn’t seem to have the skills to notice, or he wants the claim to be true very badly.
Some weeks later, now June 2024, Galante admits he was duped by the photos and story and credits two YouTubers in particular for their careful and diligent work.
Read the story here.
Here is the video:
Maybe next time he’ll be a bit more skeptical, as such claims warrant.
Modern Cryptozoology 