From the beautiful Black Rhino to the biggest bird the Elephant Bird, these are 12 of the most amazing animals hunted to extinction.
Subscribe to Talltanic http://goo.gl/wgfvrr
7. Falklands Wolf
While some animals are hunted for their delicious meat, others are hunted for their furs. The Falklands Wolf extinction can be directly linked to human activity on the Falkland Islands, a British overseen territory southwest of Argentina. Charles Darwin thought it was bizarre that any dog species could live on a remote island like this one, and some believed it was at some point domesticated, then brought to the islands. The dogs were too tame and wouldn’t really put up much of a fight against anyone who were trying to hurt it. Scottish settlers on the Island found it to be simply a nuisance and set out poisoned meat traps. And on top of it, American fur traders capitalized on the animals tameness.
6. Dodo Bird
The Dodo is another example of an extinct animal who had trouble defending itself, and could only really use its beak for protection. It couldn’t fly and was basically easy prey from predators. Not helping its cause, it only laid one egg each year. It however, lived a very peaceful life on the island of Mauritius, off the east coast of Africa. When human settlers came to the island, they brought with them monkeys, pigs and other animals that competed too much with the dodo for food and also ate them. Since the dodos enjoyed life on the island with you any threat from predators, they basically trusted everyone, even the sailors who needed a quick bite to eat. So if they could put up a fight, escape or reproduce very quickly, evolution will do its thing.
5. The Quagga
This beautiful horse-zebra looking cross species was hunted out of existence mostly for their beautiful, unique hides. These were found all throughout South Africa. Dutch settlers enjoyed the lean meat and the profit from trading the skins. Around the 1850’s the creature was sparse to say the least and if anyone spotted one, it was basically shot on site. They were commonly held at zoos but the captivity breeding programs didn’t work and the last recorded Quagga died at a Zoo in Amsterdam in 1883.
4. Zanzibar Leopard
This animal was found near Tanzania, Australia and this one-of-a-kind leopard was the victim of one of more recent extinctions within the past few decades. Sometimes fierce predators are looked at as evil creatures who are good for nothing. Local tribes killed them, believing they were some type of demon creature. It’s easy to see how the leopard could have frightened people there, but without a balanced ecosystem of predators and prey, other animals will become overpopulated, causing unpredictable problems. The last known sighting of this species was last reported in the mid 1990’s.
3. Steller's Sea Cow
This large pudgy creature was found by Georg Wilhelm Steller while navigating the Bering Sea in 1741. This was a massive creature, weighing over a ton and could grow up to 30 feet long. It looks similar to a manatee but was much slower. Hunters found out the oil was very valueable for making candles and the meat was extremely delicious. Since its short stubby arms proved no purpose and its chubby form made it difficult to flee. So the combination of it tasting good and its lack of speed, lead to its downfall. It’s nothing it could control, it was just born delicious. I’m guessing like a combination of beef and fish?
2. Pyrenean Ibex
This goat from the Pyrenee mountains, between the border of France and Spain went extinct in 2000. The population severely dwindled from hunting. This animal was quite abundant in the Middle Ages but the number rapidly declined in the 19th and 20th centuries. Some believe it had to do with increased grazing in the area that led to a decline in resources for it. The species was cloned bringing it out of extinction but it died from lung complications.
Way to go humans! (sarcastic) we managed to kill off another wonderful species . The Black Rhino is now officially declared extinct in 2013 and unless we find an excellent method of cloning, we’ll never see a live one again. This remarkable creature was once grazing widespread across central Africa. Poachers valued their large horns and in 2010, the Black Rhino became “critically endangered” in 2010. The chinese encouraged this animal to be hunted in order to make traditional medicines, making the horn in high demand. One horn on the black market could be sold for 100,000 dollars.
