George, the Galapagos tortoise, passed away last June at over 100 years of age. His death represented the extinction of an entire species. These are other animals that have disappeared in the last 5 decades.
1. Mexican grizzly bear, 1964
Did you know that huge grizzly bears walked through Mexican lands? This species was hunted until its disappearance because it ate the cattle of the ranches. Only 30 of them remained until 1960, but in 1964 it was considered extinct.
2. Santa Elena Earwig, 1967
Although its classification as extinct is not yet official, this critter from the island of Saint Helena, in the Atlantic Ocean, has not been seen alive since 1967. Searches in 1988, 1993 and 2003 turned up nothing.
3. Japanese sea lion, 1974
Hunting and the destruction of its habitat by World War II wiped out this species. A pup was captured in 1974. In 2007, the South Korean government announced a plan to introduce the California sea lion to the spaces where its relative used to live.
4. Gastric brooding frog, 1983
This Australian frog would swallow fertilized eggs and «give birth» to fully developed frogs through its mouth. The last one died in captivity in 1983. It was being studied in the hope of finding a cure for ulcers.
5. Dark Shore Sparrow, 1987
Native to the coast of Florida, this species died from pesticides and because NASA captured them for the Kennedy Space Center.
6. Golden Toad, 1989
It is not yet known how this Costa Rican toad became extinct; The cause could be from climatic changes such as El Niño, global warming or the contamination of their habitat.
7. Javanese Tiger, 1994
Due to crops, the habitat of this tiger was lost. The last space where he was seen was on the highest mountain on the island of Java, in Indonesia.
8. Oystercatcher Canary, 1994
This bird lived in the Canary Islands. Commercial fishing left them without their food, oysters.
9. Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 1994
Although it is officially extinct, there are reports that it has been seen and there is even an audio recording of the distinctive sound that its beak makes when it hits wood. It seems there is hope.
10. Goat of the Pyrenees, 2000
The last specimen died in its natural habitat when a tree fell on it.
11. Marian Duck, 2004
It lived on three islands in the Pacific Ocean, but the loss of its habitat due to drought, crops, and World War II led to its extinction. The last pair died in captivity at Sea World in San Diego in 1981.
12. Cyanerpes, 2004
The introduction of species not native to Hawaii, such as pigs, cats, and rats, contributed to the extinction of this bird. It is still listed as «endangered» but none have been found despite extensive searches.
13. Baiji Dolphin, 2006
A video of what appears to be a dolphin of this species was taken in 2007. However, it is considered «functionally extinct», because even if there are a few in the sea, they will no longer be able to reproduce.
14. Caribbean monk seal, 2008
They were hunted on a massive scale in the 1700s and 1800s for their fat, lamp oil or machinery. Its extinction also involved that of a mite that only lived inside the nostrils of this seal.
15. Grebe, 2010
This duck lived alone in Madagascar until habitat loss and hunting by non-native carnivorous fish wiped it out.
16. Western Black Rhino, 2011
A subspecies of black rhinoceros that lived in Cameroon was the victim of extensive hunting, despite the fact that it was banned in the 1930s. The other three black rhino subspecies are in danger of extinction.
17. Pinta Island Tortoise (Galapagos), June 24, 2012
George, the last tortoise of his species, died at a research facility. His exact age is not known, it is only estimated that he was over 100 years old.
[BuzzFeed]
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