RECENTLY EXTINCT ANIMALS

Are Humans to be Blamed?

Deforestation, global warming, hunting (poaching), predation by other species, competition with other species, epidemic, etc., are some of the most prominent causes of species extinction that various wildlife organizations often cite. Among these, the causes of extinction which can be attributed to human activities are not just at the forefront, but have also increased by a significant amount with time. For instance, habitat destruction as a result of deforestation and global warming has been one of the major causes of animal extinction on the planet, and the species which have had to bear the brunt of the same include animals like the Cape Verde Giant Skink, Round Island Burrowing Boa, Tasmanian Wolf, etc. Similarly, species like the Bali Tiger and Javan Tiger native to Indonesia were brought to the verge of extinction by large scale poaching for their skin which has a great demand in the international market. Other causes such as predation and competition with other species, as well as epidemics, have also triggered species extinction, but the impact of these causes has not been as grave as human related causes - like deforestation and poaching.

Recently Extinct Animals

In 2009, the International Union for Conservation on Nature (IUCN) - the premier organization working for conservation of species - came up with a press statement stating that the "Wildlife crisis on the planet have become worse than economic crisis." The organization - which has been in the picture for quite sometime now - has an exhaustive database of the global conservation status of plant and animal species which is referred to as the IUCN Red List. A look at this list reveals that the damage caused to the biodiversity of our planet is much more severe than we can imagine, and the list of extinct animals in the last 100 years given below highlights this fact very well.

Species     Geographical Range     Year of Extinction*     Cause of Extinction
Arabian Ostrich     Arabian Peninsula     1966     Excessive hunting
Atitlan Grebe     Guatemala     1989     Habitat loss
Bali Tiger     Indonesia     1937     Excessive hunting
Bubal Hartebeest     Africa     1923     Excessive hunting
Bushwren     New Zealand     1972     Large scale predation by mustelids
Canarian Black Oystercatcher     Canary Islands, Spain     1994     Human encroachment/Habitat loss
Cape Verde Giant Skink     Cape Verde Islands     1914     Habitat loss
Caribbean Monk Seal     Caribbean Sea     1952     Excessive hunting
Carolina Parakeet     United States of America     1918     Excessive hunting
Caspian Tiger     Asia     1930s     Excessive hunting/Loss of Habitat
Caucasian Wisent     Europe     1927     Large scale predation
Colombian Grebe     Colombia     1977     Large scale predation/Excessive hunting
Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby     Australia     1927     Large scale predation by Red fox
Golden Toad     Monteverde     1989     Climate change/Fungal epidemic
Grand Cayman Thrush     Grand Cayman     1938     Habitat loss/Excessive hunting/Predation
Guam Flying Fox     Guam (US Territory)     1967     Habitat Loss/Predation by brown tree snakes
Hawai'i 'O'o     Hawaii     1934     Excessive hunting
Heath Hen     New England     1932     Excessive hunting for food
Japanese Sea Lion     Japanese Archipelago     1974     Excessive hunting
Javan Tiger     Indonesia     1972     Habitat loss/Excessive hunting
Kaua'i 'O'o     Hawaii     1987     Avian diseases
Laughing Owl     New Zealand     1914     Habitat loss/Predation by domestic cats
Laysan Rail     Hawaii     1944     Habitat/Predation by rats
Little Swan Island Hutia     Caribbean     1950s     Predation by domestic cats
Palestinian Painted Frog     Israel     1955     Habitat loss
Paradise Parrot     Australia     1927     Habitat loss/Predation by domestic cats
Passenger Pigeon     North America     1912     Excessive hunting for food
Pyrenean Ibex     France and Spain     2000     Excessive hunting
Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard     Canary Islands, Spain     1930s     Commercial exploitation in scientific research
Round Island Burrowing Boa     Round Island, Mauritius     1975     Loss of habitat
Ryukyu Wood-pigeon     Okinawa Archipelago, Japan     1936     Habitat loss
Santo Stefano Lizard     Santo Stefano Island, Italy     1965     Large scale predation/Endemic
Schomburgk's Deer     Thailand     1930s     Excessive hunting
South Island Piopio     New Zealand     1963     Predation/Habitat loss
Syrian Wild Ass     Asia     1927     Excessive hunting
Tasmanian Wolf     Australia     1936     Excessive hunting/Habitat loss
Thicktail Chub     California, United States     1950s     Habitat loss/Competition with hybrid species
Toolache Wallaby     Australia     1950s     Excessive hunting/Predation by foxes/Habitat loss
Wake Island Rail     Wake Island, Pacific Ocean     1945     Excessive hunting for food
*The year of extinction may refer to the last confirmed sighting of the species or the year in which it was officially declared extinct.

While many sources suggest that the Baiji River Dolphin has become extinct, the fact is that it has been declared Functionally Extinct as the search for this species in its native habitat didn't yield any positive results. Similarly, there exist some confusion about the extinction of Barbarian Lion which according to some sources does exist in captivity even today. Other animals which are believed to have become extinct, but the official confirmation is still awaited, include species like the Western Black Rhinoceros, Zanzibar Leopard, Madeiran Large White, Spix's Macaw, etc. These species are enlisted as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List. Other prominent names which often which in extinct animals list include the Quagga, Dodo, Cape Lion, Falkland Island Wolf, Steller's Sea Cow, etc., which became extinct before the dawn of the 20th century.