|
Extinction is a natural process; a typical species used to become
extinct within 10 million years of its first appearance on Earth, but
these days, when the planet faces a number of serious problems such as
overpopulation, pollution, climate change etc., the species loss is now
occurring at a rate more than 1,000 times greater than it would be
naturally. It is very difficult to know exactly when a given species
disappears in the wilderness, but it is safe to say that thousands of
animal species go extinct every single year. For today’s post, we took a
look at recently extinct animals we miss the most. From to the Javan
tiger and the Caribbean monk seal to the dodo, here are some Extinct
Animals That We Are Sad To See Gone.
|
|
Malagasy Hippopotamus
Once widespread on the island of Madagascar, the Malagasy hippopotamus
was a close relative to modern hippopotamus, though it was much smaller.
First estimates suggested the species died out as early as some 1,000
years ago, but new evidences have shown that these hippos might have
lived as recently as in the 1970’s. |
|
 |
|
Baiji
Known by many other names such as the Chinese river dolphin, Yangtze
River dolphin, white-fin dolphin or Yangtze dolphin, the Baiji was a
freshwater dolphin that lived in the Yangtze River in China. The Baiji´s
population declined drastically by 1970’s as China made heavy use of the
river for fishing, transportation, and hydroelectricity. The last known
living Baiji called Qiqi died in 2002. |
|
|
|
Javan Tiger
Once commonly found on the Indonesian island of Java, the Javan tiger
was a very small subspecies of tiger. During the 20th century, the
population of the island increased multiple times, leading to a massive
clearing of the forests that were converted into arable land and rice
fields. Pollution and poaching also contributed to the loss of the
species. The Javan tiger has been extinct since 1993. |
|
|
|
Steller's Sea Cow
Steller’s sea cow is an extinct herbivorous marine mammal that was once
abundant in the North Pacific Ocean. It was the largest member of the
order Sirenia, which includes its closest living relative, the dugong
and the manatees. Hunted for its meat, skin, and fat by fur traders, the
Steller’s sea cow was hunted to extinction within just 27 years of its
discovery. |
|
 |
|
Formosan Clouded Leopard
Once endemic to Taiwan, the Formosan clouded leopard was a subspecies of
clouded leopard, a rare Asian cat that was considered to be the
evolutionary link between the big cats and the small cats. Extensive
logging destroyed this animal’s natural habitat, and it was proclaimed
extinct in 2004 after 13,000 camera trap nights showed no signs of its
presence.
|
|
 |
|
Chinese Paddlefish
Sometimes also referred to as the Elephant fish, the Chinese paddlefish
was one of the largest freshwater fish. Uncontrolled overfishing and
destruction of the species’ natural habitat made it critically
endangered in the 1980’s. The last confirmed sighting of the fish
occurred in January 2003 on the Yangtze River, China, and it has been
believed to be extinct since then.
|
|
 |
|
Pyrenean Ibex
Once endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenean ibex was one of the
four subspecies of the Spanish ibex. In the Middle Ages, the wild goat
was very abundant in the Pyrenees region, but it decreased rapidly in
the 19th and 20th centuries due to uncontrolled hunting. In the second
half of the 20th century, only a small population survived in the area,
and in 2000, the very last specimen was found dead.
|
|
 |
|
Dodo
The dodo is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of
Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Subfossil remains show it was about 1 m
(3 ft 3 in) tall and may have weighed up to 21 kg (47 lb). The dodo’s
appearance in life is evidenced only by drawings, paintings, and written
accounts, which is why it remains unresolved. The dodo is used as a
symbol of extinction and obsolescence in popular culture. |
|
 |