A few days ago, I was reading a book about amphibians to my daughter. The book, published in 1991, has the slightly-outdated look that one might expect of a 20-year-old, used library book. But I didn't expect to see something that rocked my world: a photo of an animal that became extinct during my own life time. A beautiful photograph in the book shows the golden toad, a bright-orange amphibian native to Costa Rica. The text under the photo says casually that the species is endangered and "may be extinct" within ten years.
The IUCN gave me information that pained me. My daughter's book was correct when it predicted that the golden toad would become extinct soon. In fact, by the time the book was published in 1991, two years had already passed since anyone had sighted a golden toad in the wild. None have been seen since 1989.
The golden toad isn't the only endangered animal that has become extinct within the last twenty years. Here are four other animals that have been declared extinct since 1991.
Yangtze River Dolphin
This extinct species has, tragically, vanished from the Earth in just ten years. By 2000, the Yangtze river dolphin, which lived in the formerly-fertile fresh waters of China, conservation biologists noted that the species had become incredibly rare and "possibly extinct." When a large-scare 2006 expedition using state-of-the-art technology failed to uncover any signs of the animal, it was declared extinct. Although some hope remains for its potential as a "Lazarus species," or an extinct animal that apparently returns from the dead, the Yangtze river dolphin is, in all probability, never going to be seen again.
Pyrenean Ibex
The Pyrenean ibex was a form of mountain goat officially declared extinct in 2000. But, with the aid of modern technology, the pyrenean ibex gave a whole new meaning to the concept of a Lazarus species. Desperate conservationists engaged in a multi-million-dollar campaign to clone the Pyrenean ibex, implanting the animals' embyros into domestic goats. However, all of the cloned kids died just moments or days after birth. The last attempt occurred a mere two years ago, when a cloned Pyrenean ibex died of lung defects. Although there is a tiny flicker of hope in the Pyrenean ibex's continued existence, it's unlikely that humans could clone enough animals to establish a functional population.
The Pyrenean ibex was a form of mountain goat officially declared extinct in 2000. But, with the aid of modern technology, the pyrenean ibex gave a whole new meaning to the concept of a Lazarus species. Desperate conservationists engaged in a multi-million-dollar campaign to clone the Pyrenean ibex, implanting the animals' embyros into domestic goats. However, all of the cloned kids died just moments or days after birth. The last attempt occurred a mere two years ago, when a cloned Pyrenean ibex died of lung defects. Although there is a tiny flicker of hope in the Pyrenean ibex's continued existence, it's unlikely that humans could clone enough animals to establish a functional population.
Pygmy Rabbit
Weighing just one pound, the pygmy rabbit is the smallest member of the rabbit family, and native to North America. Although is not yet officially considered extinct, but it is functionally extinct-- there are too few rabbits left to establish a population without significant inbreeding. We haven't given up hope on the pygmy rabbit yet-- conservationists are still desperately trying to breed the animal in captivity-- but chances are high that the current captive population is too inbred to ever survive in the wild.
Zanzibar Leopard
Zanzibar Leopard
The Zanzibar leopard was a beautiful big cat native to the vanishing forests of Tanzania. Lastpositively sighted in 1996, this recently-extinct animal is almost certainly gone forever. Even if one or two hold on to life at the edges of the Tanzanian forests, there are not enough of these cats to sustain a long-term population. As a result, it is functionally-- if not completely-- extinct. Like other recently extinct animals, the Zanzibar leopard has died recently enough that there may be hope for possibility of cloning the animal. However, this is a pie-in-the-sky dream for conservationists, not likely to come to fruition successfully.
Western Black Rhinoceros
Western Black Rhinoceros
I distinctly remember one day, when I was in third grade, when a zookeeper came to our class to talk about endangered species. He told us on no uncertain terms that the black rhinoceros would be extinct by the time we were his age. I hung that post-it in the walls of my mind, telling myself to look out for the announcement that the species was gone. Now in my mid-twenties, I'm sad to say that I can't prove that zookeeper wrong. As of 2008, the black rhino is considered probably extinct, with too few remaining to sustain a population. Again, there may be a glimmer of hope, but the odds of the species' survival are incredibly slim.
Since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s, we have made vast improvements in species conservation. But the battle isn't over yet. Many species have become extinct not just since the 70s, but in the last 20 years. Endangered animals urgently need our help, and current measures aren't enough. By supporting the conservation of critically endangered animals, you can help to prevent this epidemic from claiming the lives of animals during the next two decades.