Extinct Animals That We Are Sad To See Gone

(Source: list25)

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.

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