The last two living northern white
rhino's in existence happen to both be
female as the last male died in March
of 2018. Sudan, the 45-year old male
was under armed guard at Kenya's Ol
Pejeta Conservancy when he passed
away from old age and an infection.
The two females are also unable to
give birth, making the likelihood of
introducing a new generation of the
species highly unlikely. Scientists are
working on using harvested sex cells
and IVF to bring forth a lab-created
northern white rhino.
Cause of
Extinction: poaching has
decimated this population and
loss of habitat also helped
drive the rhino to the brink of
extinction.
Thought to be extinct in the wild,
the Spix Macaw currently exists in
captivity with their numbers in the
dismally low 60-80 range. The bird
is also referred to as Little Blue
Macaw because they're known for
their vibrant blue feathers.
Cause of Extinction: the
Spix Macaw went extinct in
the wild due to habitat
destruction, illegal trapping
and trade.
The Thylacine, a carnivore also referred to
as the Tasmanian tiger and Tasmanian wolf,
was a (mostly) nocturnal marsupial that
preyed on rodents and kangaroos.
Although Thylacine's looked fierce, they
were actually quite timid and, according
to Live Science, "could be captured without
a fight.“
Reports of Thylacine sightings have been
so frequent in the past century that
it sparked an investigation as to the status
of their existence.
Cause of Extinction: it is believed
that Dingo populations threatened
the Thylacine into extinction in
addition to over-hunting from
humans.
The golden toad is not the only
species to disappear in the past 40
years, but it just might be the brightest.
The small toad was last seen in 1989
in a Costa Rican rainforest before
being declared extinct in 1994. It is
believed that Chytridiomycosis, a fatal
skin disease, decimated this toad
population that was already vulnerable
thanks to what Science is calling a
“limited habitat and small population.”
Cause of Extinction: pollution,
global warming, and chytrid skin
infections led to the extinction of
this species.
The majestic West African black
rhino was declared extinct in 2006,
after conservationists failed to find
any in their last remaining habitat in
Cameroon. The West African black
rhino was one of four subspecies of
rhinoceros
Cause of
Extinction: poachers hunted
the rhino for its horn, which is
believed by some in Yemen
and China to possess
aphrodisiacal powers, leading
to their extinction.
Similar in appearance to the
Sumatran tiger, the Javan tiger was
native to the Indonesian island of
Java. In the 1800s they were so
common they were considered pests
by island natives, but as the island
was developed their population
dwindled. By the 1950s, only 20 tigers
remained.
Cause of Extinction: loss of
habitat and agricultural
development led to severe
population decline. Conservation
efforts in the 1940s and '50s were
unsuccessful due to a lack of
adequate land and planning.