We are living in a fast-changing world. The industrialization is good, the progress is good, but it comes with a price. As waste and wide the world is, as Mother Nature create all of the wonders for us, we destroy them in the name of advancing humanity. Till this day, we only learned a fractions of the living organisms that inhabit the seas and oceans. We have only discover a fraction of the numerous insects living on earth, we still did not have discover all the living animals. Nevertheless, there are so many species that’s gone extinct , before we were even born. The only question that’s comes in mind is, how many of them will go extinct in our lifetime? Will our children’s Weill be able to still see some of them alive in natural environment??
Today post maybe a little bit more serious in tone . I have decided to bring back some of the extinct animals, that’s none of us had chance to see ..So, with a heavy hearts, let us see what’s we have lost…
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Sicilian wolf
“Canis lupus cristaldii”. This specific species has been extinct since the 1920s. According to a study by the Natural History Museum in Verona, the Sicilian wolf was exterminated by humans because of its taste for livestock. It is also believed that wolves – an indigenous species in Sicily – have run out of food as a result of the island’s ecological crisis.
Xerces blue butterfly
Glaucopsyche xerces. The species has been extinct since the 1940s. Blue Glaucopsyche xerces inhabited the shoreline dunes of the San Francisco Peninsula. Scientists believe that they became extinct in the early 1940s. It is the first American butterfly species to become extinct as a result of progressive urbanization and the expanding cities that occupy its habitats.
Japanese sea lion
The species has been extinct since the 1950s. Japanese sea lions were hunted for their skin, whiskers, organs, and fat, and were caught and sold to circuses. This, combined with persecution by fishermen and possibly shooting by soldiers, made them extinct. They were last seen in the 1950s.
Bubal hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus. The species has been extinct since the 1950s. Until the 1950s, buffaloes lived in the meadows of North Africa and are believed to appear in works of art found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Humans have intensely hunted them for centuries, eventually leading to their extinction.
St. Helena Darter
The species has been extinct since the 1960s. The last individual of the dragonfly, found only on the volcanic island of St. Helena in the Atlantic, was observed in 1963. Its disappearance is believed to be the result of the severe destruction of its natural habitat following the colonization of the island by Europeans at the end of the 16th century. Invasive species brought onto the island by humans, such as the African Clawed Frog, also contributed to its extinction.
Caledonian Sylviornis
Sylviornis neocaledoniae. Sylviornis was never encountered alive by scientists, but it is known from many thousands of subfossil bones found in deposits. Sylviornis was a huge flightless bird, 1.7 m (5.6 ft) long altogether, and weighing around 30 kg (66 lb) on average. It is the most massive galliform known to have ever existed. It had a large skull with a high and laterally compressed beak surmounted by a bony knob. Its legs were rather short but had strong toes with long nails. The bird was hunted to extinction by the Lapita ancestors of the Kanak people, who settled New Caledonia around 1500 BC. Predation by feral dogs and pigs probably also played a part.
Hawaiian Kakawahie
The species has been extinct since the 1960s. This Hawaiian bird was last seen in the Kamakou Reserve in 1963. It was a species that was common there even in the 1890s. The extinction of this Hawaiian bird was caused by the destruction of its natural habitat and disease transmitted by mosquitoes brought into its environment by humans.
The Spic Macaw
“Cyanopsitta spixii” endemic to Brazil, was last seen in the wild in 2016. It was declared extinct in the wild in 2019. Even thou but there are currently around 160 of these parrots in captivity. This species had its moment in the spotlight when one named Blu starred in the 2011 animated movie “Rio”. Unfortunately, the illegal pet trade served as a significant factor in driving the bird to extinction in the wild, as did habitat loss. Hope for the continuance of the species lies in captive breeding programs that intend to reintroduce the birds to the wild.
Guam flying fox
The species has been extinct since the 1960. The guam tree was brought to extinction by the hunters for the meat of humans and their dragging into its natural habitats of the tree snake. The last of these small fruit-eating bats was shot by hunters in 1968.
Pyrenean Ibex
One of four known subspecies of the Spanish Ibex or Iberian Goat. It was found in the Iberian Peninsula. The Ibex would grow to a height of 2 -2.5 feet (60-76cm) at the shoulder and weigh 53 – 176 lb. (24-80 kg) and fed mainly on grasses and herbs. They were thought to have numbered 50,000 historically, but by the early 1900s its numbers had fallen to fewer than 100. The exact cause of the Pyrenean Ibex’s extinction is unknown; scientists believe factors included poaching and the inability to compete with other mammals for food and habitat. The last Pyrenean Ibex was killed by a falling tree in northern Spain in the year 2000
Caspian tiger
“Panthera tigris virgata” ,the Caspian tiger occupied the largest expanse of territory, ranging from Iran to the Caucasus to the vast, barren steppes of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Unfortunately, history gives the extinction credit imperial Russia, which bordered these regions, for the extinction of this majestic beast. Tsarist officials set a bounty on the Caspian tiger during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and starving Russian citizens eagerly complied. Thanks to modern science and genetics it may yet prove possible to “de-extinct” the Caspian tiger via the selective breeding of its descendants.
Golden toad
The species has been extinct since the 1980s. The freshwater gold toad, native to the misty forests of Costa Rica, has become extinct for a number of reasons: global warming, infectious disease and air pollution have played a role. Formerly a common species, it has not been seen since 1989.
Pinta Giant Tortoise
The species was described by Albert Günther in 1877 after specimens arrived in London. By the end of the 19th century, most of the Pinta Island tortoises had been wiped out due to hunting. On June 24, 2012, the world-famous giant tortoise affectionately known as “Lonesome George” passed away. He was the last surviving land tortoise from Pinta Island, one of the northern islands in the Galápagos. Thought to be 100 years old, Lonesome George lived at the Charles Darwin Research Station since he was found in 1971.
West African Black Rhinoceros
“Diceros bicornic longipes” As is often the case, hunters began the destruction of the western black rhino. At the beginning of the 20th century, these animals were massively exterminated. When a significant decline in their number was noticed in the 1930s, rhinoceros were placed under protection. However, the more their population grew, the less effort was put into its preservation, and the number of individuals began to decline again. And this time it was because of hunting, now illegal, organized by poachers. The situation of rhinoceros is worsening as the Chinese believe their horns have miraculous healing properties. On the black market, the rhinoceros horn reaches astronomical amounts. Failure to protect them allows poachers to act freely and lead to the destruction of entire species. Since 2006, no living representative of the West African black rhinoceros subspecies has been observed, so in 2011 it was declared extinct. The cause of its destruction was primarily.
Baiji White Dolphin
Also called the Chinese River Dolphin, can only be found in the Yangtze River in China. These mammals could grow to eight feet long and weigh up to a quarter of a ton. They relied on echolocation to navigate and hunt for pray due to their tiny eyes and very poor eyesight. Living in the Yangtze for 20 million years, their numbers declined drastically from the 1950s onwards. As China industrialized, the river was used for fishing, transportation and hydroelectricity which had a huge effect on the mammals. No one has seen a Yangtze River Dolphin since 2002.
The Elephant Bird
“Aepyornis” the Elephant Bird, that’s used to live on the island of Madagascar. a 10-foot, 500-pound behemoth that was not only hunted to extinction by human settlers (the last specimen died about 300 years ago) but surrendered to diseases carried by rats. By the way, Aepyornis earned its nickname not because it was as big as an elephant, but because according to local myth, it was big enough to carry off a baby elephant.
The Barbary Lion
“Panthera leo leo” was a prized possession of medieval British lords who wanted a novel way to intimidate their villeins. A few large, shaggy individuals even made their way from northern Africa to the menagerie of the Tower of London, where countless British aristocrats were imprisoned and executed. Barbary lion males possessed especially large manes. They were among the largest lions of historical times, weighing as much as 500 pounds (227 kg). It may yet prove possible to reintroduce the Barbary lion into the wild by selective breeding of its scattered descendants.
Passenger Pigeon
Native to North America, the Passenger or Wild Pigeon has been extinct since the early 20th century. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 billion Passenger Pigeons inhabited the US when Europeans arrived in North America, but their settlement led to mass deforestation resulting in habitat loss and a reduction in the bird population. By the 19th century pigeon meat was commercialized as a cheap food for the poor, which resulted in hunting on a massive scale. The Passenger Pigeon died out in the wild by around 1900, with the last known individual dying in captivity in 1914.
Tasmanian Tiger
Native to Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, the Tasmanian Tiger was a large carnivorous pouched mammal. Not related to tigers, the creature had the appearance of a medium-to-large-size dog (it weighed about 66 lb. (30kg) with a nose to tail length of almost 8 feet (2 meters). The dark stripes on its fur gave it a tiger-like appearance. It is believed to have been hunted to extinction – this was encouraged by bounties – but human encroachment into its habitat, the introduction of dogs and disease could also have contributed. The last wild Tasmanian Tiger was killed between 1910 and 1920, with the last captive one dying in Hobart Zoo, Tasmania in 1936.
The Cape Lion
“Panthera leo melanochaitus was described as very large with black-edged ears and a black mane extending beyond the shoulders and under the belly. The Cape lion to have been ‘distinctly’ bigger than other lions in Africa.[18] Lions approaching 272 kg (600 lb) were shot south of the Vaal River. 19th century authors claimed that the Cape lion was bigger than the Asiatic lion. In the early 19th century, lions still occurred in the Karoo plains and in the Northern Cape. In 1844, lions were sighted south of the Riet River. The last lions south of the Orange River were sighted between 1850 and 1858. In the northern Orange Free State, lions may have survived into the 1860s, and no convincing sightings have been recorded since.
Stellers Sea Cow
Named after George Steller, a naturalist who discovered the creature in 1741. Stellers Sea Cow was a large herbivorous mammal. It is believed that Stellers Sea Cow which grew to at least 25 -10 feet (8-9 metres) and weighed around 8-10 tons, inhabited the Near Islands, southwest of Alaska and the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. It is believed that the mammal was tame and spent most of its time eating kelp; this, and the fact that it was unable to submerge its enormous body, is possibly what made it vulnerable to human hunters. Within 27 years of discovery by Europeans, Steller’s Sea Cow was hunted to extinction.
Great Auk
A large and flightless bird found in the North Atlantic and as far south as Northern Spain. It had an average height of 2.4 – 3 feet (75-85 centimeters) and weighed about 12 lb. (5kg). The Great Auk was a powerful swimmer which helped it to hunt underwater for food. The last colony of Auks lived on the island of Eldey and by 1835 they had all been killed. The last of these birds was killed by three men who caught it on St Kilda, Scotland in 1844. When a large storm surged, they believed that the auk was a witch and was causing the storm, so they killed it.
The extinction of the Great Auk (genus name Pinguinus) was a long, drawn-out affair. Human settlers started munching on this 10-pound bird about 2,000 years ago, but the last surviving specimens only went extinct in the mid-19th century. Once a common sight on the shores and islands of the North Atlantic, including Canada, Iceland, Greenland, and parts of Scandinavia, the Great Auk had a sadly familiar failing: having never seen human beings before, it didn’t know enough to run away from them rather than waddle up and try to make friends.
Dodo
An extinct flightless bird that inhabited Mauritius, the Dodo was about one 3.5 feet ( 1 meter) tall and may have weighed 22 – 40 lb. (10–18 kilograms). The only account we have of the dodo’s appearance is through varied illustrations and written accounts from the 17th century, so its exact appearance remains unresolved. It is presumed the bird became flightless due to the availability of abundant food sources (seeds, roots and fallen fruits) and a relative absence of predators. Dutch sailors first recorded a mention of the dodo in 1598. The bird was hunted to extinction by sailors and their domesticated animals, and invasive species. The last widely accepted sighting of a Dodo was in 1662.
Woolly Mammoth
An enormous mammal, believed to be closely related to the modern-day elephant. Its ancestors migrated out of Africa about 3.5 million years ago, spreading across northern Eurasia and North America. The creature was over 13.15 feet (4 meters) tall and could weigh over 1200 lb.(6 tons). They were covered in fur and their curved tusks could easily be up to 13 -15 feet (5 -6 meters) long! The Woolly Mammoth eventually disappeared 10,000 years ago through a combination of hunting by humans and the disappearance of its habitat through climate change. The last of the isolated woolly mammoth populations is believed to have vanished from Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean around 1700BC.
Splendid poison frog
“Oophaga speciosa”. splendid poison-arrow frog was a species of poison dart frog endemic to the eastern end of Cordillera de Talamanca, western Panama. The species was formerly common, but its present population status is poorly known. It is now classified as extinct.
The Bali Tiger
“Panthera Tigris balica” was native to the Indonesian island of Bali. The last sighting was in 1937. For thousands of years, the Bali tiger coexisted uneasily with the indigenous human settlers of Indonesia. However, it didn’t find itself truly imperiled until the arrival of the first European traders and mercenaries, who mercilessly hunted this tiger to extinction, sometimes simply for sport and sometimes to protect their animals and homesteads.
Giant Wombat
The Giant Wombat was a devoted vegetarian (it subsisted exclusively on the Salt Bush, which was home thousands of years later to the similarly extinct Eastern Hare-Wallaby) and not particularly bright: many individuals fossilized after they carelessly fell through the surface of salt-encrusted lakes. Like its Giant Kangaroo pal, the Giant Wombat went extinct at the cusp of the modern era, its disappearance hastened by hungry Aborigines carrying sharp spears.
Sabretooth Cat
“Smilodon”. Often called Sabre-toothed Tigers or Sabre-toothed Lions, they existed 55 million to 11,700 years ago. Sabre-tooth Cats were carnivores named for the elongated bladelike canine teeth, which in some species were up to almost 2 feet (60centimeters) long. Quite bear-like in build, they were believed to be excellent hunters and hunted animals such as sloths and mammoths. These felines could open their jaws at an angle of 120 degrees – almost twice as wide as a modern lion! It is believed the Sabre-tooth Cat’s extinction may be linked to the decline and extinction of the large herbivores they hunted. Other explanations include climate change and competition with humans.
Despite its name, the saber-toothed tiger (aka) wasn’t technically a tiger, and it went extinct at the verge of the historical era, about 10,000 years ago. This was one of the most dangerous predators of the Pleistocene epoch, capable of sinking its canines into large megafauna mammals and cruelly waiting nearby as its victims bled to death. As intimidating as it was, though, Smilodon was no match for early Homo sapiens, who hunted it to extinction shortly after the last ice age.
The Giant Moa
You might think a 12-foot, 600-pound bird would be well-equipped to withstand the attacks of human hunters. Unfortunately, the Giant Moa was also afflicted with an unusually small brain for its size and spent countless years in a New Zealand habitat completely lacking any predators. When the first humans arrived on New Zealand, they not only speared and roasted this enormous bird, but they also stole its eggs, one of which could presumably provide a breakfast buffet for an entire village. The last Giant Moa sighting was well over 200 years ago.
Atlas Bear
“Ursus arctos crowtheri” Starting around the 2nd century A.D., this northern African bear was ruthlessly hunted and imprisoned by Roman colonists, whence it was set loose in various amphitheaters either to massacre convicted criminals or to be massacred itself by mounted nobles armed with spears. Amazingly, despite these depredations, populations of the Atlas Bear managed to survive into the late 19th century, until the last known individual was shot in Morocco’s Rif Mountains.
Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo
“Procoptodon”. During the Pleistocene epoch, Australia was plentiful with monstrously sized marsupials–kangaroos, wallabies and wombats . The Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo stood about ten feet tall and weighed in the neighborhood of 500 pounds, or about twice as much as an average NFL linebacker. Like other megafauna mammals worldwide, the Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo went extinct shortly after the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, possibly as the result of human predation.
The American Lion
“Panthera leo atrox”. This Pleistocene predator may actually have been more closely related to tigers and jaguars than to modern lions. The amazing thing about the American lion is that it coexisted and competed with both Smilodon (aka the saber-toothed tiger) and Canis dirus, also known as the dire wolf. If it was, in fact, a subspecies of lion, the American lion was by far the heaviest member of its breed, some pack-alpha males weighing as much as half a ton (454 kg).
The Auroch
“Bos primigenius”, has been commemorated in numerous cave paintings, and isolated populations managed to survive until the early 17th century. The majestic animal once lived all over Europe and in the north of Africa. Due to the development of agriculture, the size of the forests, which were their natural habitat, significantly decreased. The last documented Auroch, a female, died in a Polish forest in 1627.It may yet be possible to “de-breed” modern cattle into something resembling their Auroch ancestors, though it’s unclear whether these would technically count as true Aurochs.
Woolly rhinoceros
The woolly rhinoceros is an extinct solipeds (A mammal having a single hoof on each foot, as the horses and asses; a solidungulate), Living in the Pleistocene from 500,000 years ago. It was found in the northern steppes of Eurasia, it was 6 – 14 feet (2 meters high, 5 meters) long and weighed 3.5 tons. It had two flattened side horns, up to almost 4 feet (1 meters) long, which were used for defense, attracting mates and clearing snow. This species was adapted to the cold climate, because the body of the rhino was covered with thick, dense, red-brown hair. It ate on lichens, grasses and sedges. The most closely related to the woolly rhinoceros is the Sumatran rhino.
Tarpan
Tarpan is an extinct species of wild horse that inhabited the forests of Europe. Many consider him the ancestor of the domestic horse. He was small, about 4.2 feet (130 centimeters) at the withers and had a mouse-like color body with a dark, distinct line along the spine and striped legs. Tarpans occurred in the Białowieża Primeval Forest until 1780, and in Ukraine until the beginning of the 1880s. People who caught tarpans for circuses and as an attraction for children contributed to the extinction of tarpans.
The Cyprus Dwarf Hippopotamus
“Insular dwarfism”. the tendency for plus-sized animals to evolve to smaller sizes in island habitats—is a common pattern in evolution. The Cyprus Dwarf Hippopotamus, which measured four or five feet from head to tail and weighed a few hundred pounds. As you might expect, such a pleasant, tasty, bite-sized hippo couldn’t expect to coexist for long with the early human settlers of Cyprus, who hunted Hippopotamus minor to extinction about 10,000 years ago. (BTW The same fate was experienced by the Dwarf Elephant, which also lived on the islands dotting the Mediterranean Sea.)
The Stag-Moose
The first known fossil specimen of this cervid was discovered in 1805 by William Clark, of Lewis & Clark fame. And here’s an unfortunate fact about the Stag-Moose: this 1,000-pound, ornately antlered deer was hunted to extinction about 10,000 years ago, after first suffering numerous invasions into its natural habitat. In fact, the Stag-Moose were to go extinct shortly after the last Ice Age, to be replaced (if at all) by their slimmed-down descendants of the modern era.
The Desert Rat-Kangaroo
This species was announced exiting not once but twice. This rounded, foot-long marsupial, which looked like a cross between a rat and a kangaroo, was discovered in the early 1840s. The Desert Rat-Kangaroo then quickly disappeared from view for almost 100 years, only to be rediscovered deep in the central Australian desert in the early 1930s. While intransigents hold out hope that this marsupial has somehow escaped oblivion (it was officially declared extinct in 1994), it’s more likely that predation by Red Foxes eradicated it from the face of the earth
Pig-Footed Bandicoot
The Pig-Footed Bandicoot was equipped with rabbit-like ears, an opossum-like snout, and spindly legs capped by strangely toed (though not especially porcine) feet, which gave it a comical appearance when hopping, walking or running. The pig-footed bandicoot is thought to have gone extinct at some point in the 1950s, due to the fateful combination of European arrival and land-use change that likely altered the marsupial’s habitat.
The American Cheetah
Despite its name, the American cheetah (“genus Miracinonyx:) was more closely related to pumas and jaguars than to modern cheetahs. Its slim, muscular, cheetah-like body can be chalked up to convergent evolution, which is the tendency for animals that pursue similar lifestyles and inhabit similar ecosystem. In this case, the wide, grassy plains of North America and Africa—to evolve similar body plans. As fast and sleek as it was, the American cheetah went extinct about 10,000 years ago, shortly after the last Ice Age, possibly as a result of human invasion on its territory.
Kawekaweau
“Delcourt’s giant gecko”. The name kawekaweau, by the way, refers to a mythical Maori forest lizard. The largest gecko that ever lived. This 2-foot-long Kawekaweau was native to New Zealand, but human settlers drove it to extinction in the late 19th century. The last known kawekaweau was killed by a Maori chieftain around 1873. He didn’t bring the body back with him as evidence, but his detailed description of the reptile was enough to convince naturalists that he had made a genuine sighting.
Siamese catfish
The species has been extinct since the 1970s. Siamese catfish is a victim of river bank regulation and construction. It was last seen alive, somewhere between 1975 and 1977. The obstructing, construction of dams and canals, and high pollution of the Chao Phraya River, as well as drainage of wetlands in and around the Thai capital are believed to be the main reasons for its extinction.
The Cave Lion
“Panthera leo spelaea”. Was one of the apex predators of Pleistocene Eurasia. Oddly enough, this lion didn’t live in dark caves. It earned its name because various individuals were discovered in damp European caves, which Panthera leo spelaea packs raided in search of bear-sized meals. An angry, full-grown cave bear would have been an even match for an 800-pound (363 kg), cave lion male.
Seychelles Giant Tortoise
There is some debate about whether the Seychelles giant tortoise is extinct in its entirety or only in the wild. Like related tortoise populations on other Indian Ocean islands, the Seychelles giant tortoise was hunted to extinction in the nineteenth century. It survived only on the edges of marshes and lakes, feeding on weeds, until being wiped out in the wild by the 1840s. A 2011 study found 28 adult tortoises in captivity and eight adults, and 40 juveniles introduced to Cousin Island, all of which may be Seychelles giant tortoises. Jonathan, a Seychelles tortoise on Saint Helena Island, was officially inducted into the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living land mammal at the age of 187.
The Javan Tiger
“Panthera tigris sondaica”. Like its close relative in the past, the Bali tiger, the Javan Tiger was restricted to a single island in the vast Indonesian archipelago. Unlike the Bali tiger, though, the Javan tiger surrendered not to relentless hunting by settlers bent on preserving their livestock but to relentless intrusion on its territory, as the human population of Java exploded during the 19th and 20th centuries and continues to grow today. The last Javan tiger was seen in 1976.
Giant Monitor Lizard
Megalania, the “giant wanderer” was a 25-foot-long, 2-ton monitor lizard that would have given bird-footed dinosaur dinosaurs a run for their money. Megalania was probably the apex predator of late Pleistocene Australia, preying on resident megafauna like the giant short-faced kangaroo and capable of giving Thylacoleo (the marsupial lion) a run for its money. Why did the giant monitor lizard go extinct 40,000 years ago? No one knows for sure, but suspects include climate change or the disappearance of this reptile’s usual prey.
Zebra quagga /kwagga
“Equus quagga quagga”. Quagga became extinct in 1883. The half-striped quagga also lived in Africa, but it did live in the north of the continent. The species was severely reduced during the times of Dutch settlement. The last quagga fell in the wild in 1878, five years later the last surviving specimen died in captivity. An animal that looks like a combination of a horse (back) and a zebra (front) has long been the subject of many scientific works and projects. It was truly the first extinct animal whose genetic code was subjected to research. Therefore, it was established, among other things, that quagga as a species is closer to zebras than to common horses.
The European Lion
Panthera leo: Panthera leo europaea, Panthera leo tartarica, and Panthera leo fossilis. Quite Puzzlingly, what paleontologists refer to as the European lion comprised of the three, rather than just one, subspecies. One thing all these big cats shared in common was their relatively large size. Some males approached 400 pounds (181 kg), with females—as always in the big cat family—being slightly smaller. They also shared their predisposition to invasion and capture by representatives of early European “civilization”. For example, European lions featured in the gruesome arena combat games of ancient Rome.
This is an amazing post – thank you for sharing!