Extinct Animals Lost to Human Activity
Many Animals have become extinct due to human activity. For many years humans have destroyed animal habitats, deforestation and hunting for food or just for fun! Many more animals are due to become extinct due to human activity. Ranging from small to large animals none are safe when humans are around.
Caspian Tiger
Native to Asia the Caspian Tiger Spanned across Asia from Eastern Turkey to Western China. The Fall of the Caspian Tiger Started in the late 19th Century with the Russian colonisation Turkestan which is modern day Kazakhstan. tigers were killed for sport and due to diseases, such as Swine fever and foot and mouth disease, which caused a large and fast die-offs. The last sighting of the Caspian Tiger was in 1998 in the Afghan-Tajik border
Dodo
The first recorded mention of the Dodo Bird was made by Dutch Sailors in 1598 and the last mention of seeing the Dodo bird was around 1710, this is due to hunting and a destroyed habitat. The Dodo bird could reach up to 1 m (3ft 3in) tall and could have weighed 20 – 30kg (48-71lbs) with the males being larger than females they weighed less than 20kg.
Western Black Rhinoceros
Declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011, the numbers of the Rhino declined due to poaching. The Western Black Rhinoceros measured at 3-3.75 m long, height of 1.4 - 1.8 m, and weighed between 800 - 1,400 kg. The diet of the Rhino consisted of leafy plants and shoots found around thier habitat located in Western Africa.
Golden Toad
Discovered in 1964 to the declared extinction in 1989 due to climate change in the span of 25 years from when they were first discovered we as humans managed to wipe out another species animal. 1500 Golden Toads were reported at Costa Rica’s Cloud Forest reserve in 1972. Body length ranged from 39 to 48 mm in males and from 42 to 56 mm in females.
Atlas Bear
The only bear that was native to North Africa that survived into modern times. The Atlas Bear was said to have been 2.7 m Long and weighed up to 450 kg. Known to feed on roots, acorns and nuts, the Atlas Bear was able to eat meat as well. The Extinction of the Atlas Bear can be partly attributed to the Roman Empires expansion into North Africa. The Romans hunted and captured the Atlas Bear and used them for sport for the Roman Games.
Quagga
Quagga was a subspecies of Zebra and was native to South Africa until it was hunted to Extinction by humans in the late 19th Century by European Colonists. Declared to be Extinct in 1883 by the IUCN. The Quagga is believed to have been 2.57 m long and 1.35 m tall. Some were taken to zoos in Europe, but breeding programmes were unsuccessful.
