Of the major topics discussed worldwide are COVID-19, Global warming, and Wildlife Extinction due to their importance in every person’s life in the world.
The first two speaks for themselves, as the number of affected people with COVID-19 and the rapid climate change this year is the most alarming. On the other hand, Wildlife Extinction is not properly understood, as people talk about it without actually understanding the role it plays.
No blame is attributed to people who do not quite understand it. “I mean, how would some weird rat species dying in Africa possibly affect citizens of the United States of America,” right? Wrong!
Think of it as a whole interconnected web, and every species in its way contributes to the proper functions of life and nature itself, and with every piece that breaks out, fragments of nature’s balance are torn off.
Little by little, these “insignificant” changes lead to an imbalance in ecosystems such that there may be no bees to pollinate our flowers, reducing the plant generation and the animals (man inclusive) that feed on that plant.
This article brings you some of the animals that have gone extinct in recent decades. It shows how common they were in the last years and what caused their extinction. This article brings you some of the animals that have gone extinct in recent decades.
It shows how common they were in the last years and what caused their extinction.
The Golden Toad
Known for their golden color, the golden toad are true toads that were once abundant in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Like amphibians, they require a moist environment for their osmoregulation and ensure the survival of their eggs.
By 1984, a rapid decline in the species was recorded and classified as “endangered” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Reasons attributed to their decline include collection for their shiny appearance, climate change, drought, and Ultraviolet radiation. In May of 1989, the last sighting of a male golden frog was sighted and was considered by the IUCN as extinct ever since.
Rotund Rock Snail
Once found in the Coosa River and other rivers in Alabama, the rotund rock snails were endemic snails of the United States of America. These little creatures just required little moisture and inhabited gravel and other rocky substrates.
As these rivers were used to construct dams to generate electricity for man, their habitat was destroyed. Other arthropodal-caused activities threw off survivors as pollution. The last recorded species was in the 1900s.
Pyrenean Ibex
Less than thirty years ago, the Pyrenean Ibex roamed around freely across France and Italy. They lived in rocky environments surrounded by trees and grasses in those regions.
There are some theories as to what caused their extinction. Among these theories were their excessive hunting and their inability to survive among other animals in their habitat.
The last survivor was found dead in January 2020, and although successful attempts were made to clone these animals from samples gotten from its ear, the successful clone died minutes later.
West African Black Rhinoceros
A remarkable show of extinction in species is exhibited in the West African Black Rhino population. Early into the twentieth century, their numbers reached over a million!
They covered several countries of West Africa and migrated in groups. They feed on leafy vegetables and leaves, a normal herbivores diet.
By 2001, the number reduced to two thousand three hundred by hunting for their meat and horns. The last West African Black Rhino was seen in 2006 and was officially announced extinct in 2011.
Pinta Giant Tortoise
These Giant tortoises were common to Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands and fed the common herbivore’s diet of grasses and shrubs. But that was where the problem arose. As invasive island goats were introduced into the island, it caused a shortage of food for these tortoises.
From the end of the nineteenth century up until the twentieth century, these animals were hunted by humans for their meat. Their shells were used for decorative and industrial uses.
Human factors, along with the invasive goat species, sharply reduced the populations of these tortoises. In June 2012, the last known species died after living for over 100 years.
Conclusion
Animal extinction is affecting humans more directly than it may seem. It is important to conserve these species, reduce the destruction of their natural habitat by afforestation, and create conservation centers.
Alternatively, the reduction of meat consumption to alternative protein sources is advised. This article brought the most common animals that became extinct in the past years and caused their extinction.
