Endangered And Extinct Species

ANIMALS IN DANGER

In the past 500 years, hundreds of species of animals have become extinct. They are disappeared from Earth forever. In many cases, this is because of human actions. The animals are being hunted, or the areas where they live are being destroyed. Most of us don’t have an idea of what is happening to all the living creatures. So, let’s look deep into the topic of Endangered and Extinct Species.

LAST SEEN ALIVE

Some creatures are becoming extinct in the wild but are surviving in artificial settings like the zoo. If they can successfully be bred means, they are taken back to the wild. 

For example,

Przewalski’s horse became extinct in the wild but has since been bred in captivity. Now there are herds of these wild horses in their old home around the Great Gobi desert. 

Other species are defined as “threatened”, or in danger of becoming extinct. According to the degree of threat they can be considered “critically endangered”, “endangered” or “vulnerable”.

These are some of the animals which remain to be unseen for a very long time. Herein, there are some of them listed which most of us are not aware of.

Sabre-toothed tiger – 12,000 years ago

Woolly mammoth – 10,000 years ago

Moa – 1,000 years ago

Aurochs – 1627

Dodo – 1681

Steller’s sea cow – 1768

Great auk – 1844

Tarpan – 1851

Labrador duck – 1875

Quagga – 1883

Pillory muskrat – 1902

Badlands bighorn sheep – 1905

Butterfly – 2007

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ENDANGERED AND EXTINCT SPECIES

DINOSAURS

We’ve always heard of the monster Dinasour, but the curious thing is that we’ve never seen it. This species, though, fascinates all. About 230 million years ago, dinosaurs first appeared. These incredible reptiles then dominated life on Earth until 65 million years ago, when they went extinct.

COELACANTH – A LIVING FOSSIL

Palaeontologists discovered a large fish known as the coelacanth from fossil remains. They thought that it became extinct about 65 million years ago. But on 22 December 1938 one was caught alive off East London in South Africa. 

This strange creature about 1.7m long, snapped at the hand of Captain Henrik Goosen but died soon afterwards. Goosen realized that he found something unusual so took the fish to a local museum where scientists identified it as a “living fossil”. Since then, more coelacanths are caught mostly off the Comoros Islands.

THE END OF THE TIGER?

Can we all believe that Tiger is also on the verge of becoming extinct? Yes, some familiar animals are under threat of extinction. They include the gorilla, African and Asian elephants, the black rhino and many species of whale. 

Tigers are also in danger. A century ago there were more than 100,000 tigers. Of the eight known subspecies of tiger, three – the Bali, Caspian and Javan are extinct. There are now fewer species left in the wild because their habitats have been destroyed. Also, many are hunted for their bones and other parts used in traditional Chinese medicines. 

LOST WORLD – ENDANGERED AND EXTINCT SPECIES

In 2006 a team of 12 scientists returned from an area of rainforest in Indonesia where no humans have ever set foot before. They discovered dozens of new plants and animals including an orange-faced honeyeater, 20 new species of frog and many more. Additionally, they found a species of bird that is considered extinct for over 100 years. 

Through this, we can understand that we missed millions of creatures and their existence. Also, how good it will be if they are there now? Many creatures are on the verge of extinction. So, it’s our sole responsibility to take care of the animal ecosystem and make them free from danger. 

Written by: Ananie Borgia