Story of Eight Lives

[DuckforcoveR]

This is a story about candles blowing out. Not like a chunk of wax with a small flame, but a candle of existence that will never burn brightly again. Will science one day be able to bring these animals back? Possibly. But the reasoning behind most of their demise (habitat loss) isn't going to fix itself and because of that, they will never roam freely. But I wouldn't put it past you to imagine our kin seeing "test tube" animals in a zoo some day. 

Nor am I here to get into the how or why they went extinct. Climate change, hunting, habitat loss, etc., it makes no difference for this thread. This is simply showcasing what once was and admiring nature at its' finest. 

Chinese paddlefish


Officially listed as critically endangered, no live specimens have been sighted since 2007, leading to fears that it may already be extinct. 

While it isn't 100% certain that this fish indeed doesn't exist anymore, there isn't much hope outside of finding a lingering adult or two. I'm putting money on extinct but stranger things have happened. But this fish just looks awesome. I can imagine the thrill of seeing that on the other end of the line, ass puckered up and all 

Only two adult specimens (both females) have been recorded since 2002, despite recent surveys to re-discover the species. Juveniles were last recorded in the lower reaches of the river in 1995. It is expected that there are less than 50 mature individuals left in the wild and this species is assessed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), though more extensive surveys are needed in areas across the species range in order to confirm whether or not individuals of this species remain.

Chinese Paddlefish


Western Black Rhinoceros

The western black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) or West African black rhinoceros is a subspecies of the black rhinoceros, declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011.[1][2] The western black rhinoceros was believed to have been genetically different from other rhino subspecies.[3] It was once widespread in the savanna of sub-Saharan Africa, but its numbers declined due to poaching. The western black rhinoceros resided primarily in Cameroon, but surveys since 2006 have failed to locate any individuals.

It's sad to see these guys go. I was always a giant rhino fan, they used to remind me of my favorite dinosaur as a kid (triceratops) 

Western Black Rhino

And now to the cats (so much for nine lives...)

Formosan clouded leopard


Endemic to Taiwan, this species was wiped out by poaching, habitat destruction and elimination of its natural prey. It was declared extinct in 2013 after a 13-year search.

Just a beautiful cat. Absolutely gorgeous.

Thirteen years, 1,500 infrared cameras, hundreds of catnip-baited hair traps and an almost incalculable number of hours in the field have confirmed what scientists have long feared: the Formosan clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyura) is in all likelihood extinct. The subspecies, endemic to Taiwan, was wiped out by poaching, trade in its pelts during the Japanese occupation, habitat destruction and elimination of its natural prey.

Formosan Clouded Leopard

Caspian tiger


Despite attempts to protect the species in the first half of the 20th century, they were hunted to extinction in the early 1970s in Iraq, Russia, Georgia and Kazakhstan. It may have survived until the 1990s in parts of Turkey, but was officially declared extinct in 2003.

In 1947, Russia banned hunting of the Caspian tiger and its close relative, the Siberian, or more properly Amur, tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), still found today in the Far East.  But the edict came too late for the Caspian tiger.

The last tiger in Tigrovaya Balka was glimpsed in 1958.  Although a matter of debate, the legendary final wild Caspian tiger is said to have been killed in February, 1970, in Hakkari Province, Turkey.  Panthera tigris virgata was extinct. Or was it?

This cat may still have life to breath though:

Museums in Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan hold the key.  Buried in their musty depths are specimens of Caspian tigers collected long ago.  Driscoll and colleagues compared the preserved tigers’ DNA with that of living Amur tigers.  “Caspian and Amur tigers turned out to be one and the same,” says Driscoll.  “The tigers are too closely related to be separate subspecies.”  Declaring the Caspian tiger extinct, he says, may have been premature.

You can read more here - VERY cool

Zanzibar leopard

Zanzibar leopards may well have become extinct in the mid-1990s following a widespread campaign by farmers, from the 1960s onwards, to exterminate them. Occasional rumors of sightings by hunters mean it is still, technically, critically endangered.  

The candle is still flickering, but probably not for long. 

In total 52 villagers, over half of whom were former or current part-time hunters, were interviewed. The interviews yielded compelling indications for an extant population of leopards: interviews included reports of leopard sightings for every year between 1990 to 1996. Combining this with National Hunters' records, which documented killed leopards in each year from 1985 to 1995, we conclude that the species was probably still to be found on the island as of 1996. However, a subsequent effort undertaken by other researchers and involving camera traps, audio playbacks and searches for leopard sign failed to yield physical evidence of leopards.

Zanzibar Leopard

Javan tiger


Agricultural encroachment and habitat loss on the Indonesian island of Java led to the extinction of these big cats in 1976.

Javan Tiger is an extinct tiger subspecies that used to dwell in Java Islands in Indonesia. Hunting and deforestation are two of the primary reasons believed to have completely wiped it out by mid-70s or early 80s.

Fossil evidences suggest that around 12000 years ago, Javan Tigers also existed in Borneo Island and Palawan in Philippines. Still, some experts say that the Borneo specimens survived as recently as 200 years ago.

Javan Tiger

Eastern cougar or Eastern puma


In 2015, this big cat species was officially declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to human intervention in its habitat.

It's official: the once-imperiled "eastern puma" has been removed from the list of North American wildlife protected under the Endangered Species Act. Traditionally, this would imply a recent loss or success for conservationists, but not so with this top cat. In fact, officials have revealed that the cougar in question may have been extinct for decades.

Eastern Puma


And now, my absolute favorite so far:

Pinta Island tortoise

Believed to be the last of his kind, the celebrated "Lonesome George," with an estimated age of over 100 years, died in 2012 in the Galápagos Islands from heart failure consistent with a natural death. Scientists claim that Isabela Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, may contain some specimens with the same genetic markers, hinting at hopes of a revival of the species. 

Anybody else remember "The Neverending Story" ?

Early in the morning on Sunday, June 24th, 2012, Lonesome George — the sole remaining Pinta Island tortoise and Galapagos conservation icon — was found dead in his corral at the Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, by members of the Galapagos National Park Service. His loss will be felt across the world, as it marks the extinction of the Pinta species of tortoise.

Lonesome George



Additional reading about more animals we'll never see in their natural setting again:

List of extinctions

Hanging on by a thread

Pretty sad to see there are only about 7000 cheetahs left in the wild. That blew me away to read, I never knew they were that close to extinction. 

DFC

[Mystic Wanderer]

The Eastern Cougar has been spotted many times in the Smoky Mountains.  Yes, they say it's extinct, but it's still around.

                                                                                              


The Formosan Clouded Leopard must have passed some genes down to domestic cats, because I saw one posted on FB a couple of weeks ago with markings just like that.

I hate to hear that about the Tigers.  They are the most beautiful of all cats, IMO.  


Seems fitting to post this here.  To all those people who helped to make these animals extinct by hunting them for sport, just remember...  KARMA!

A big-game trophy hunter was killed in Africa last week during an encounter with a herd of elephants.

Theunis Botha, 51, died on Friday in Zimbabwe, South Africa’s News24 reported, citing Netwerk24. 

Botha, who owned an outfitting company, was walking with some other hunters when they came across a group of breeding elephants. The elephants charged the hunters and Botha opened fire.  

Another elephant then charged from the side and lifted Botha with its trunk. When one of the other hunters shot the creature, it collapsed and fell on Botha as it died, killing him.  

Simukai Nyasha, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Authority, told the Independent that the incident happened at the Good Luck Farm near Hwange National Park. The park is known for its elephants, and its Facebook page is filled with images of tourists showing the animals in action.

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