Not Only Dugongs, These 6 Gemoy Animals Turn Out to Be Extinct
Recently the world was shocked by the extinction of the dugong. This was revealed from the results of monitoring carried out for the last 5 years in China’s coastal areas by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Chinese Academy of Science.
In that observation, only 3 people from coastal communities in China had seen dugongs in the last five years. Additionally, the data shows no sightings have been verified by scientists since 2000.
1. Pinta Giant Tortoise.
According to thelibbymuseum.org, this type of turtle became officially extinct in 2012. This extinction was marked by the death of the last Pinta Giant Tortoise named George.
This tortoise inhabitant of the Galapagos Islands was driven to extinction by whalers and trading ships in the 19th century who used these animals as food. Apart from that, island deforestation also contributed to the extinction of the Pinta Giant Tortoise.
2. Bramble Cay Melomys.
This mouse-like rodent was officially declared extinct in 2019. This animal’s extinction was caused by climate change which raised sea levels. This sea level rise then washed away the vegetation that Bramble Cay Melomys uses as shelter and food.
3. Yangtze River Dolphin.
No one had seen this animal in the last 20 years so it was finally declared extinct in 2019. China’s rapid industrialization during the 20th century caused the Yangtze River Dolphin population to decline.
4. Spix’s Macaw.
This species had its last moment of fame in 2011 when it was featured in the animated film “Rio”. The last Spix macaw in the wild was seen in Brazil in 2016 and was declared extinct in the wild in 2019.
Even so, there are currently around 160 Spix Macaws in captivity. The hope remains that conservation work can lead to success in increasing the population of this species.
5. Western Black Rhinoceros.
Massive hunting during the 19th and 20th centuries led to a rapid population decline of this black rhino subspecies, which led to it being listed as critically endangered in 2008.
In 2011, this animal was declared extinct. The bad news is, there are no known Western Black Rhinoceros kept in captivity, meaning the species is likely lost forever.
6. Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is an animal that inhabits North America. However, there have been no confirmed sightings of this bird since 1987.
With this bird never to be seen again, in 2021, the US government’s Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that the species be declared extinct. Even so, the monitoring period is still ongoing.