Ten Extinct Animals in the last 150 years - 3 minutes read
Ten Extinct Animals (General Knowledge)
1. Dodo
The dodo was a flightless bird native to Mauritius whose population began to decline and eventually became extinct in the short course of a century as sailors started arriving on the East African island nation.
The last of the dodo was seen in the 1660s, and because the emphasis wasn't really on conserving specimens, many of the remaining fossils were lost or destroyed.
(Image: Wikimedia) Dodo
2. Schomberg's Deer
The Schomberg deer was native to Thailand and was named after the German-born explorer Sir Robert H. Schomberg, who was knighted in 1844.
Some scientists believe that some of these deer may still be in the wild, even though they were officially declared extinct in 2006, and the last known deer was killed in captivity in 1938.
Cause of Extinction: Besides humans, Schomburg's deer were hunted by native tigers and leopards. Today, we only know of one mounted deer head in the Musée National d'Histoire Naturale in Paris.
(Image: Wikimedia) Scomburg's Deer
3. Dutch Alcon Blue Butterfly
This Dutch butterfly, a subspecies of Elkon Blue, was found mainly in the grasslands of the Netherlands. While the closely related species (shown here) still exist in parts of Europe and Asia, the last Dutch Blue Hawk was seen in the wild in 1979.
Cause of extinction: Increased agriculture and construction hurt the Blue Alcon's habitat and caused it to lose its primary food source.
4. Pinta Island Turtle
When Darwin visited the Galapagos in 1835, the Pinta Island tortoise was there. Sadly, a male named Lonesome George was the last thoroughbred of this subspecies and passed away in 2015.
Cause of extinction: Humans that destroyed their habitats, rats that preyed on young tortoises, and humans that were introduced to Pinta Island and killed them for their meat.
5. Round Island Burrowing Boa
Native to Round Island, a small island off the coast of Mauritius, Round Island burrowing boas prefer to live in the upper soil layers of volcanic slopes. It was once found on several other islands around Mauritius, but by the 1940s, its population had declined, and it could only be found on Round Island after 1949. It was last seen in 1975.
Cause of extinction: Introducing non-native species of rabbits and goats to the island destroyed the vegetation and disturbed the boa's habitat, ultimately leading to extinction.
6. Javan Tiger
Like the Sumatran tiger, the Javan tiger was native to the Indonesian island of Java. In the 1800s, they were so common that island natives considered them pests, but their populations declined as the island developed. In the 1950s, only 20 tigers remained.
Cause of extinction: Habitat loss and agricultural development led to drastic population decline. Conservation efforts in the 1940s and 1950s were unsuccessful due to a lack of proper land and planning.
7. Falkland Islands Wolf
The Falkland Islands wolf became extinct in the late 19th century and was known as the Antarctic wolf and the Falkland Islands fox.
These wolves were native to the Falklands of Argentina and were isolated from the world until humans arrived on the islands and hunted them down.
Scientists believe these wolves feed on penguins and other land birds and seal pups.
Cause of Extinction: Hunting.
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