Extinction is one of the few terms which bring in a lot of sadness.
A beautiful creation from the animal kingdom dies out because of the forces of nature.
Be it climatic changes, lack of adaptability or human intervention, there are various factors
responsible for this complete wipe out.
Here are 11 unlucky species which were forced into extinction due to these reasons.
Number 10.
Pyrenean Ibex The Pyrenean Ibex has always been an interesting
topic for discussion.
It was one of the first species to be re-created artificially by the technique of cloning.
But just after the seventh minute of being cloned, it passed away.
They existed on earth in the middle ages.
They were exclusively found in the Pyrenees region or the south of France.
But the population decreased rapidly around the early 1900s, thanks to the rampant hunting.
Around the 1950s, only a meager population existed in Spain’s Ordesa National Park.
The competition from domestic cattle and wilder beasts also reduced their remnant numbers
drastically, eventually wiping them out of existence.
Number 9.
Yangtze River Dolphin The Yangtze River Dolphin from China is one
of the species which was again forced into extinction due to the human intervention.
After being in existence for about 20 million years, they disappeared from the very face
of this planet.
The last time, this species was sighted was in the 1990s.
The existence of 13 such dolphins was recorded at that time.
This species were unique because they were one of the few oceanic creatures who had learnt
to adapt in a river’s ecosystem.
How did their numbers reduce so significantly?
Fishing nets with hooks would snag them and the pure critters would die due to drowning.
Number 8.
Meiolania When some creature turns into a palatable
dish, then it takes little time for them to be wiped out.
Meiolania, popularly known as the horned tortoise is one such case.
This species was a part of the mega fauna creature group to exist on this planet.
This eight-foot long turtle was native to the regions of Australia, New Caledonia and
Vanuatu.
Around 3000 years ago, the people from the Lapita tribe started inhabiting this area.
They found the meat of the mega-species to be fit for human consumption and devoured
the entire population.
In fact, scientists found out that the legs were considered to be a great delicacy.
Number 7.
Golden Toad One of the prettiest amphibians, it was a
sort of a mascot in its country of origin, Costa Rica.
It was so popular, it was found on the travel itineraries, brochures and the posters.
There was a thriving population of these toads, but the changing climatic conditions affected
them in a perilous way.
In 1987, two females and seven males were found.
In the subsequent years, these numbers dwindled, until it was declared extinct in 2004.
Thanks to the El Nino cycle, the weather became too dry and the thriving population of these
beautiful creatures died out.
Number 6.
Quagga Quagga, the name is as interesting as the
creature itself.
This African creature is part horse and part zebra.
It could be distinguished from a zebra because of the distinct stripes on the front of its
body.
Suddenly, the population started vanishing.
In fact, the extinction was so swift that even the scientists couldn’t decide what
the creature really was.
It was discovered only after its extinction that it was a zebra subspecies.
Hunting and domestication for forage by humans drove these creatures to extinction.
Number 5.
Thylacine Just looking at this creature once could deliver
anybody the shivers.
This devil was also called the Tasmanian Wolf.
The striped-animal was a native of Australia and New Guinea.
It was the largest carnivorous marsupial of its time.
With an intimidating height of nine feet, it had a huge jaw that could open enough to
fit a baby hog in it with ease.
Since they were a threat to the cattle, the farmers would place bounties on its head.
Sadly, the numbers dilapidated.
They were either hunted down with weapons or dingoes.
Number 4.
The Irish Elk Here’s another dude from the jungle that
was well-reputed for its size.
It looked like a huge specimen of the present day elk.
It was seven feet tall at the shoulders.
If you measured the antlers from tip to tip, then they were around 12 feet long.
Wow, can you just imagine its size!
This species existed way back in the time range of 6000 BC to 5000 BC.
However, there is a bit of confusion regarding its extinction.
A group of historians say that they disappeared because of their size, while others say that
their numbers reduced due to hunting by the primitive human population at that time.
Number 3.
Caspian Tiger The Caspian tiger was the third largest among
its species.
The size of the Caspian tiger was between the Bengal tiger and the Siberian tiger.
The tiger had a stocky built with big and wide limbs.
The fur coat was quite elaborate and it looked quite similar to the Bengal tiger.
However, this one was plain unlucky.
During the mid-twentieth century, the Russian Army started encroachment of the jungles as
a part of the land reclamation program, the Russian government hunted down these tigers.
Due to the loss of habitat and extreme hunting, the population of this creature was destroyed.
Number 2.
Great Auk The Great Auk was a flightless penguin from
the Atlantic Ocean.
These cute critters measured up to 30-34 inches in length.
With black and white shiny feathers, they were noticed in various frigid zones, especially
in the Tundra.
Again hunting proved to be fatal for this entire species.
Number 1.
European Cave Lion Well, this is another tragic story from the
pre-historic times.
Paintings of this Paleolithic species have been found in European caves.
But they have a cruel story to tell.
In those times, hunting practices were quite common.
Neanderthal people used to hunt lions in teams.
As a result this lion species became extinct around ten thousand years ago.
It was particularly found in Northern Europe.
This wild yet magnanimous creature weighed around 800 lbs.
But it was not hunting alone which reduced their population.
The prey that they depended on was also wiped out and this magnificent species disappeared
in the travails of time.
So, are there any other extinct animals that should be included in this list?
If so, tell us in the comment section below.
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