The Asiatic Cheetah, also called the Persian Cheetah, is a Critically Endangered cheetah subspecies. Asiatic cheetahs are today only found in Iran. They once roamed a much larger territory ranging from the Arabian Peninsula and the Near East to the Caspian region, Kyzylkum Desert, Pakistan and India.
Wildlife
Steller’s Sea Cow – Extinct in 1768
Steller’s sea cow was first seen by Europeans in 18th century around the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia. Fossil records show that its range was more extensive during the Pleistocene epoch (from 2.6 million to 11.7 thousand years ago) and its population numbers had been much …
Japanese Sea Lion – Extinct 1974
The Japanese sea lion was an aquatic mammal that became extinct in the 1970s and was to be found in the Japanese Archipelago and the Korean Peninsula. They inhabited the Sea of Japan along the northwest Pacific coastline, more specifically in Japan, Korea, southern Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands and …
Pyrenean Ibex Extinct in 2000 – EU Conservation Failure
Ibex are wild goats that live in the mountainous regions of Europe, north central Asia and northern Africa. There are five species of ibex. They have long, curved horns and cloven hooves. Males have long beards. Ibex are related to antelopes, buffalo, bison, cattle, goats and sheep.The Pyrenean ibex was …
Western Black Rhinoceros – Extinct 2003
An estimated one million black rhinoceroses from four different subspecies roamed the savannas of Africa in 1900. By 2001 that number had dropped to about 2,300 black rhinos and just three subspecies. This is the story of how we exterminated one of those subspecies, the western black rhinoceros. There have been some …
Caribbean Monk Seal – Extinct 1952
The Caribbean Monk Seal was also known as the West Indian Monk Seal or Sea Wolf. The first Europeans to see them in August 1494 were Christopher Columbus and his crew when their ship laid anchor off the island of Alta Velo. Their population size, prior to exploitation by Europeans and overfishing, as at the early 17th Century has been estimated at something over a quarter of a million distributed over 13 breeding colonies each 300km apart.
The Moa Lived in Aotearoa and Became Extinct in 1445
For millions of years, nine species of large, flightless birds known as Moas thrived on the islands today known as New Zealand (Aotearoa). The evolutionary lineage of these Moas dates back sixty million years. The Moa fed on twigs and plants. The Moas had one main predator and that was the …
Passenger Pigeon Lived in North America – Extinct 1914
The passenger pigeon flew with grace, speed, and agility. The bird had a small head and neck. The tail was elongated and wedge-shaped. The wingspan was broad and the wings were pointed and powered by large breast muscles that gave it capability for prolonged flight. The average length of the male was …
The Great Auk Extinction Story – Extinct in 1844
The Great Auk was eighty centimetres tall, weighed around five kilos and looked like a large penguin. They spent most of their lives at sea but returned to land to nest. The great auk was a flightless bird and a fantastic swimmer and lived in the northern hemisphere. This bird ranged from Norway to …
Sixth Mass Extinction of Life on Earth Caused by Humans
Human activity and exploitation as well as climate change and ocean acidification is causing populations of vertebrate animals and their habitats to crash. The study’s research reveals that this is in fact happening at an accelerated rate. We will soon enter a time period where most of the animal populations will reach unsustainably low numbers segregated in their terminally degraded habitats scattered around the globe.