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● TRACKER Updated 9d ago · 5 sources tracked

‘Holy grail’: Antique ‘fox head’ bought at a flea market turns out to be an ancient extinct species valued at $85K

A United Kingdom collector who paid sixty-two thousand pounds for a mounted fox head discovered through X-rays that the specimen actually contained the skull of an extinct thylacine. The item, valued at eighty-five thousand dollars, was initially won at auction or bought at a flea market as a weird fox head before testing revealed its true identity as an ancient extinct species. This rare find has stunned experts who now recognize the object as a prized thylacine artifact rather than ordinary taxidermy.

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  • ✓ A UK collector paid sixty-two thousand pounds for a mounted fox head.
  • ✓ X-rays revealed the skull of an extinct thylacine hidden inside the specimen.
  • ✓ The item is valued at eighty-five thousand dollars.
🛡️ Source Corroboration: 5 independent reporting domains (95% confidence) ⏱ Read time: ~2 min

What changed

X-ray imaging confirmed that a purchased animal head previously labeled as a fox actually belongs to the long-extinct thylacine.

Live updates

  1. Flea Market 'Fox Head' Is Actually Extinct Thylacine

    A United Kingdom collector who paid sixty-two thousand pounds for a mounted fox head discovered through X-rays that the specimen actually contained the skull of an extinct thylacine. The item, valued at eighty-five thousand dollars, was initially won at auction or bought at a flea market as a weird fox head before testing revealed its true identity as an ancient extinct species. This rare find has stunned experts who now recognize the object as a prized thylacine artifact rather than ordinary taxidermy.

    Why it matters

    Taxidermy mounts occasionally conceal rare or unexpected biological specimens beneath external fabric and fur. Collectors and auction houses routinely mislabel historical curiosities until advanced imaging technology exposes the truth. Discoveries of thylacine remains hold significant value given the complete extinction of the species.

    What is confirmed

    • A UK collector paid sixty-two thousand pounds for a mounted fox head.
    • X-rays revealed the skull of an extinct thylacine hidden inside the specimen.
    • The item is valued at eighty-five thousand dollars.

    Still unconfirmed

    • The item was specifically bought at a flea market rather than an auction house, or vice versa depending on conflicting source descriptions.

    What to watch next

    • Detailed anatomical verification by academic paleontologists
    • Official auction house or flea market provenance tracing
    Sources used for this update (5)
    1. The Times of India — A UK collector paid £62,000 for a mounted 'fox' head; X-rays revealed the skull of an extinct thylacine hidden inside
    2. Solicitors Journal — Looking beyond the label
    3. nypost.com — ‘Holy grail’: Antique ‘fox head’ bought at a flea market turns out to be an ancient extinct species valued at $85K
    4. ScienceAlert — Antique 'Fox Head' Bought at Auction Wasn't a Fox at All. It Was a Long-Extinct Species.
    5. gigazine.net — It has been discovered that a 'weird fox head' that was won at auction was actually from an extinct animal, not a fox.
    confidence 95%
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