Australia once had iconic apex predators, Thylacoleo (the marsupial lion) and Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger)  which like wolves, lions and sharks once helped to balance the ecosystems they presided over.

Extinction of these apex predators has allowed secondary invasive predators, like feral cats and foxes, to decimate Australian species. Reversing this trend requires restoring the apex predator role.

Thylation is a verb coined to describe the reinstatement of the Australian apex predator capacity to protect wildlife threatened by invasive predators. Although Thylacoleo and Thylacine can’t be brought back from extinction, Thylation can be achieved through development of novel techniques to balance our ecosystems, mirroring the role of these once mighty marsupial predators.