Many animal, bird and marine species have been completely wiped off the face of the earth or well on their way to be. Human activities including poaching, non-sustainable development and global warming are leading causes of this phenomenon.
Extinct Species
Let us start off our list with 5 species that were declared extinct in the last 30 years owing to lack of any scientific evidence or visual proof of existence.
1. Baiji Dolphin or Yantze River Dolphin
The skin of Baiji dolphins was immensely popular for making handbags and gloves. The last known Baiji dolphin, Qiqi, died in 2002, after which there have been no confirmed sightings or evidence of the species' survival.
Reasons for extinction – overfishing, boat traffic, habitat loss, pollution and poaching
2. Pyrenean ibex
The last of this species was a female named Celia. She died in 2000 making the species officially extinct. A clone was made using pre-existing DNA and domestic goats as surrogates, but the animal did not survive more than a few minutes after birth.
Reasons for extinction – Poaching, disease and inability to compete for food
3. West African Black Rhino
The last Western black rhinos were all hunted down if records are to be believed, as hunting in national reserve parks is higher than it is in the wild. There has been no confirmed sighting of this animal in a decade.
Reasons for extinction – Poaching, hunted for its horn
4. Golden Toad
The last sighting of a male golden toad was in 1989 and it is one of the few amphibian species that have disappeared from the planet.
Reasons for extinction - amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, air pollution and climate change
5. Javan Tigers
Javan tigers went extinct mainly as a result of loss of habitat and lack of food. The loss of habitat resulted in mass death of the tiger's prey, Rusa deer. By 1975, only 8 per cent of the forests remained, around the same time that Javan tigers were last sighted.
Reasons for extinction – Loss of habitat due to agricultural development, hunted for fur, hunted to protect cattle and other domesticated animals from regular tiger attacks
Endangered Species
The following 5 species exist in the least numbers ever on earth and fall in the list of critically endangered species of the world. Some like the Northern White Rhino, might not survive even one year.
1. Sumatran Elephants
The elephants have lost no less than 70 per cent of their habitat to human interference and development apart from deaths due to ivory poaching. Their total number does not exceed 2600 in total.
2. Amur Leopards
There are less than 100 of these beautiful animals left in the wild and scarier than that number are the reasons which led to this situation. Poaching for its fur, hunting games, habitat loss and climate change have dwindled the numbers of this rare leopard sub-species. Leopard fur coats, ivory piano keys and crocodile skin bags have forever dominated the luxury fashion scene.
A French luxury fashion house proudly markets exotic crocodile skin bags bought as status symbols by the crème de la crème of Hollywood and renowned business tycoons.
3. Gorillas
Courtesy of Mahlatini Luxury Safari
All sub-species of gorillas are currently under the endangered umbrella but two sub-species are critically endangered, mountain gorillas (above) and cross-river gorillas. Both have populations less than 300 adults. They are constantly hunted for their meat which is considered a delicacy, while cubs are taken in as pets. Ebola and other diseases have led to further reduction in their numbers.
4. Northern White Rhinos
There are only three of these rare rhino species left in the world as of 2017, all three of which are unable to reproduce naturally.
5. Northern Sportive Lemur
Occupying 10 square kilometres of their original habitat, these animals are less than 50 in number as of 2015. Forest loss, illegal hunting for meat, charcoal production are some of the causes of this drastic decline.
