Dinosaurs used to roam on our planet approximately 66 million years ago and Mammoth about 3 or 4 million years ago. Animal extinction has taken place since the earliest years on Earth. Poaching and illegal hunting, Climatic heating and cooling, changes in sea levels, radiation, disease/epidemic, the spread of invasive species are few factors that makes animals extinct.
In the last 20-years, we’ve seen wild tiger populations decrease by over 95%, and we’ve completely lost many species. Here’s a look at 5 extinct animals we sadly lost in last 50 years.
1. Black Soft-shell Turtle
Nilssonia nigricans, the Black soft-shell turtle once inhabited freshwater in India and Bangladesh. It was estimated that they used to reside between the Brahmaputra River and the Arakan streams in Asia. Sadly for this species the only known and documented population is located in an artificial pond, the Baisid Bostami shrine in Chittagong, Bangladesh and was named extinct in the Wild in 2002.
2. Scimitar-horned Oryx
Oryx Dammah, the Scimitar-horned Oryx was once believed to roam across a wide range of North Africa. In 1985 there were an estimated 500 individuals left in Chad and Niger and sadly this dropped to a mere few dozen in 1988. This beautiful species of Oryx is now only known to exist in fenced and protected areas of Tunisia and none are being prepared for a reintroduction, the species was declared extinct in the wild in 2000.
3. Socorro Dove
Zenaida graysoni, the Socorro dove was declared extinct in the wild in 2012 with its decline put down to feline predators killing off large numbers and there was also an element of human interference by killing the doves or disturbing their habitats through agricultural practices.This seemingly common bird was once endemic to Socorro, and island situated off the west coast of Mexico and because it only existed here when numbers began to decline,extinction in the wild was not far off.
4. Baxter’s Toad
Anaxyrus baxteri, Baxters toad, or the Wyoming toad is native only to the Mortenson lake national wildlife refuge in Wyoming and would not even be extant there if it were not for the continued release of young in the lakes.The species was common in the 1950s but has declined largely due to the dreaded Chytrid fungus that currently seems determined to rid our planet of most amphibians.
5. Micronesian Kingfisher
Todiramphus cinnamominus, the Micronesian Kingfisher is one of the most beautiful species we may have to say goodbye to. This species became extinct in the wild in 1986 as a result of a poorly misjudged introduction of tree snakes to their island of Guam. In 1986 the last few individuals known were collected and brought into captivity. The species was declared officially extinct in the wild in 2014 when only 129 individuals were known to exist and everyone in a captive population.
Source – Wikipedia.org