13 Extinct Animals We've Lost in the Last 150 Years

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By Julie Gerstein, Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics

Several species are being driven to extinction thanks, in large part, to human interference. Sometimes that interference is direct—poaching for big game trophies or animal tusks, and sometimes, it's indirect, such as when land is developed and disrupts habitats and entire ecosystems.

Here are some of the incredible creatures we've driven to extinction in the last century and a half.

Northern White Rhinoceros

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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.

The Spix Macaw

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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.

Thylacine

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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.

Pyrenean Ibex

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The Pyrenean Ibex officially went extinct in 2000, before being 'resurrected' nearly a decade later in 2009.

Scientists used DNA taken from preserved epidermal samples to create a clone of a female Pyrenean Ibex, which was able to make it through gestation and even birth before dying shortly after of lung deformities.

Cause of Extinction: extensive hunting during the 19th century.

Golden Toad

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The golden toad is not the only species to disappear in the past 40 years, but it just might be the brightest.

Cause of Extinction: this fluorescent amphibian was found in the high-altitude ridges of Costa Rica, but thanks to pollution, global warming and fungal skin infections, the species became extinct in 1989.

Zanzibar Leopard

© Helle V. Goldman and Jon Winther-Hansen

One of several subspecies of leopard, the Zanzibar leopard made its home on the Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania. It's still unclear whether this large cat is technically extinct—there are occasional unconfirmed sightings.

Cause of Extinction: the leopard went extinct thanks to the belief that these animals were kept by witches; for this reason, locals aggressively hunted them.

It didn't help that the government was in on the campaign to exterminate the creatures. In the mid-'90s there was a short-lived conservation effort but it was deemed too little, too late.

Po'ouli

© Paul E. Baker / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A native of Maui, Hawaii, the Po'ouli, or Black-faced Honeycreeper, was only discovered in the 1970s. The birds inhabited the southwestern slope of Haleakala volcano. But the population declined rapidly, and by 1997 there were only three known Po'ouli left.

Efforts to mate the remaining birds failed and the species was formally declared extinct seven years later.

Cause of Extinction: habitat loss, along with disease, predators and a decline in its food source—native tree snails—are all seen as reasons for the bird's demise.

Madeiran Large White

© A. E. Holt-White via Wikimedia Commons

The stunning Madeiran Large White butterfly was found in the valleys of the Laurisilva forests on Portugal's Madeira Islands. The butterfly's closest relative, the Large White, is common across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Cause of Extinction: loss of habitat due to construction as well as pollution from agricultural fertilizers are two major causes of the species' decline.

West African Black Rhinoceros

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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.

Tecopa Pupfish

© Phil Pister

The Tecopa pupfish, a native of the hot springs of the Mojave Desert, has the distinction of being the first animal declared extinct under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The pupfish's decline was precipitated when its natural habitat was encroached upon by developers.

Cause of Extinction: the destruction of their natural habitat led to the extinction of this species.

Javan Tiger

© National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

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.

Round Island Burrowing Boa

© University of Amsterdam

Native to Round Island, a tiny island off the coast of Mauritius, the Round Island Burrowing Boa preferred to live on the topsoil layers of volcanic slopes. It was once found on several other islands around Mauritius, but its population had dwindled by the 1940s, and it could only be found on Round Island after 1949. It was last seen in 1975.

Cause of Extinction: the introduction of non-native species of rabbits and goats to the island destroyed vegetation and upset the boa's habitat, leading to its eventual extinction.

Dutch Alcon Blue Butterfly

© Sander van der Molen via Wikimedia Commons

This Dutch butterfly — a subspecies of the Alcon Blue — was found mainly in the grasslands of The Netherlands. While closely related species (pictured here) still exist in parts of Europe and Asia, the last Dutch Alcon Blue was seen in the wild in 1979.

Cause of Extinction: increases in farming and building had a negative impact on the Alcon Blue's habitat and caused it to lose its main food source.