Birds that disappeared due to human fault. Tasmanian or marsupial wolf
Human expansion is not in vain. Due to the expansion of arable land and the cutting down of hundreds of hectares of forests and jungles, many species of living beings are on the verge of extinction. This leads to serious disturbances in the ecosystem, which can cause others, more... Animals that become extinct because of humans are unlikely to come back; they serve as a constant reminder of the fragility of nature. Next, we will consider the most famous creatures, in the disappearance of which it was man who played an unenviable role.
Sea cow
One of the most striking examples of the extermination of an entire species is the hunting of sea cows or cabbage ducks. This type sea creatures discovered by Bering's expedition in 1741. Sea cows had a trait that became the main reason for their extinction - delicious meat. In addition, the complete lack of fear of humans only contributed to their destruction, which was taken advantage of by hunters, along with the indigenous population and poachers. Already in 1768 the species became completely extinct. Among the immediate family sea cow Only the dugong stands out, but even these creatures balance on a very fine line...
The Javan tiger is one of the smallest, compared to other representatives of the species. Weight Limit males weighed 140 kg, and females - 115 kg, while they were significantly smaller in body length. The first bell rang in the 1950s, when the tiger population on the island of Java suddenly dropped to 20-25 individuals. Subsequently, the situation only worsened, and already in 1979 only three tigers remained alive. Still unknown exact time when Javan tigers disappeared completely. Presumably this happened in the mid-1980s. The main cause of death of the species is considered to be hunting, as well as a serious reduction in habitat due to deforestation.
However, some researchers are inclined to believe that some Javan tigers may well have survived. Locals tiger-like creatures are periodically spotted, but most scientists believe that they are seeing ordinary leopards, which from a distance may resemble the extinct animals.
This species of marsupial wolf is the only one that has been completely destroyed by humans, from beginning to end. These animals were quite widespread in Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. The first meeting of Europeans with this creature dates back to the 18th century, but already at the beginning of the 19th century, uncontrolled hunting and shooting began for marsupial wolves. Farmers believed that Tasmanian wolves were constantly attacking sheep and mercilessly destroyed them, seriously reducing the number of these animals. The disaster occurred at the beginning of the 20th century, when an outbreak of a mysterious disease, presumably canine distemper, broke out in Australia, which struck wolves, threatening their existence. However, they were not even included in the list of protected species. As a result, in 1930, hunters overtook the last wild marsupial wolf, and in 1936, the only remaining representative of the species died of old age.
Subsequently, scientists found that weak jaws did not give the Tasmanian wolf the opportunity to kill sheep, but this was one of the main reasons for its destruction.
Many years ago a little south of the river Limpopo was grazed by huge herds of quaggas, the number of which reached several thousand. Quaggas roamed in search of food. Their appearance resembled a mixture of a zebra, a donkey and a horse. The body length was about 1 m 80 cm, and the weight was close to 350 kg. However, the shape of the body and head - short, like a shorn mane, as well as the tail with a tassel at the end, made it clear that this was a zebra, just rather unusual. When Dutch colonists (Boers) arrived on these lands, they began to consider quaggas competitors for their livestock and even organized real round-ups on them. Quagga meat is tasteless, but people made belts from its strong skin, and made wineskins from their stomachs for storing and carrying water. The colonists pushed the quaggas further north, built farms and pastures, and allocated land for crops. Later, in the mid-19th century, the British conquered the Cape Colony, and the Boers went south. When in South Africa Large deposits of gold were discovered, rapid development of industry began, which entailed increasing development of territories. In 1878, the last representatives of the endangered species were killed.
This primeval wild bull considered the ancestor of all cattle. One of his closest living relatives is the Watussi. Tur lived in the steppes and forest-steppes of the entire Eastern Hemisphere. The aurochs became extinct as a result active development agriculture, expansion of land and targeted hunting organized by people. These animals were very powerful and looked like this:
- the height of this tall and strong animal reached 180 cm at the withers;
- the weight of large males was about 800 kg;
- characteristic sharp and long horns;
- the black color of the body with a white longitudinal stripe distinguished the males from the general herd;
- females, cubs and young animals were brown.
In the warm season, animals preferred to live separately in small groups, strong individuals - even on their own, and by winter they all gathered in large herds. Turs were quite aggressive and could handle a wide variety of predators.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the remnants of once large herds lived in the forested and inaccessible territories of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. They had the status of park animals that were protected by law. But the inevitable still came, and in 1627 there were no more tours on Earth. Now enthusiasts are seeking to revive tours. And this can be done. The Spanish bull, bred in the thirties of the last century in Germany, the Heck bull, as well as the fighting bulls that take part in bullfighting, have many things in common biological properties with extinct animals.
This bird species lived in deciduous forests North America, breeding near the Great Lakes. Their name corresponds to the way of life that was characteristic of these pigeons. They constantly flew, even over long distances, in search of better food and safe nesting sites. This was also facilitated by the flight speed, which was approximately 100 km/h. Their flocks were huge, and their numbers reached three and even five billion. The pigeons were eating small insects, worms, seeds of plants and trees. Passenger pigeons were a constant object of hunting for the Indians, but with the advent of Europeans, especially in the 19th century, the number of pigeons began to decline sharply. But this did not stop the hunters. The tasty meat of pigeons was quite cheap, which, along with deforestation, which reduced their habitat, was the reason for the drama that ensued. After 1870 there followed a sharp decline in bird numbers. The last wild specimen was killed in 1901.
IN Lately A movement is gaining strength all over the world, uniting people who are trying to save small groups of animals that are already at risk of extinction, and those that are just beginning to be threatened with extinction. , extinct due to the fault of man, serve as a silent reproach for past and future generations of the entire population of our planet. We must not allow this sad list to be replenished again.
The history of science knows many plants that ceased to exist due to human fault. As a result of emissions into the atmosphere industrial waste The nature around us is constantly becoming poorer. On the mountain slopes, where forests once grew, in some places only bare rocks remain.
Some representatives of the flora continue to struggle, but are on the verge of extinction - these are Cladophora globulus, Naya algae, Yellow water lily, Lily of the locust, Dolomite bell and many others. Human activity leads to devastating consequences, as a result of which the following were completely erased from the face of the Earth: Wormwood Barguzin, Astragalus Norwegian, Chii, Potentilla Volga, Common Heather, Creeping Goodera, Plantain Krasheninnikov and other rare species.
Horrifying statistics
According to statistics, about 1 percent of tropical rain forests disappear every year. At the same time, almost 70 species of plants and animals die out on the planet every day, which is approximately 3 species per hour. A tenth of the greatest zone has already disappeared biological diversity in shallow water there are coral reefs, and about 30 of them will be destroyed in the coming decades. Mostly corals die due to global climate change, pollution and warming of water, uncontrolled fishing of reef fish and the death of symbiotic organisms.Plant protection
Under strict protection in the territory Russian Federation there are such as Amur, Common Yew, Lotus, Pitsunda pine, Boxwood, as well as many other species of herbs, shrubs and trees included in the Red Book. They are extremely important, since the disappearance of food chains from the ecosystem leads to its complete destabilization.When one species disappears, population changes in secondary species often occur, which can have irreversible consequences. Each plant produces unique chemical compounds and also stores unique chemicals in its DNA. genetic material, who disappears without a trace along with him. For example, the only source of artemisinin, the most effective drug against malaria, is wormwood. Black, which contains all the disappeared plants, is an alarming signal to humanity from the planet.
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Natural conditions mountains differ significantly from plains. In the mountains there is thinner air, less vegetation, and moisture is not available everywhere. This determines characteristics mountain animals and plants.
The bighorn sheep is the calling card of the mountains
This is an animal with massive, curled horns in the most inaccessible rocky places. They feed on sparse mountain vegetation, cereals and lichens, and sometimes on dried grass. Sheep often eat old dry mushrooms containing insect larvae - this helps them meet their protein needs. By the way, despite the impressive horns, researchers have not observed a single fight between male rams.Edelweiss - a beautiful mountain plant
The gentle edelweiss has become the central character of many legends, where he has courage, eternal love and good luck. Edelweiss flowers in the highlands of Europe and Asia. The surface of the flower is covered with tiny fibers that protect the plant from the scorching mountain sun and prevent excessive evaporation of moisture. Previously, it was almost impossible to get edelweiss, but now these beautiful flowers are successfully grown on alpine hills in country houses.The popularity of edelweiss is so high that many businesses, restaurants and residential complexes are named after it.
Irbis - big mountain cat
The irbis, or snow leopard, is a predatory animal of the cat family. Snow leopard in the mountains of central Asia. The beautiful dense skin of the leopard with long fur and leopard spots on a smoky background has made the animal a popular hunting object. As a result, the number of snow leopards has sharply decreased, and now the animal is listed in the Red Book. The leopard rarely comes into contact with people and is quite solitary, so his behavior and habits have not yet been studied enough.Blue spruce - highland tree
Blue spruces, which often appear in large parks and in public gardens, are quite high in their natural environment. These trees grow in the mountain valleys of North America and often reach 3000 meters above sea level. The discoverers fell in love with the gentle blue needles of the spruce, and they wanted to grow this beauty on the plain. However, more hot climate surfaces negatively affected the seedlings. The solution was found by the Soviet scientist I. Kovtunenko. He grew spruce in a substrate of spruce and pine cones. This method quickly spread throughout the country and brought the biologist the Stalin Prize.One of the first blue spruce trees that appeared in Russia - trees near the Kremlin wall.
Yak - Tibetan pack animal
In highland Tibet, yaks are being replaced. These strong, massive animals are used to transport cargo and are also raised for meat. Tibetans also drink yak milk, and weave linen from thick, shaggy wool. Also, these animals were popular among the nomads of the mountainous places of India, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and China. Wild yaks are not adapted to live near people, so their numbers are steadily declining. But domestic yaks remain - they are smaller and calmer.An ecological system is an unstable phenomenon: species of living organisms are constantly changing, appearing and disappearing for many different reasons. But since the appearance of man on Earth, one more reason has been added to these reasons - human activity. It has caused the disappearance of dozens of various types animals.
Extinct animal research
It is impossible to say exactly how many species have disappeared from the face of the planet. Representatives human race took a dominant place in nature several tens of thousands of years ago, in prehistoric times, and scientists cannot say which species may have been affected by their activities at that time. It is possible to judge more or less accurately the influence of a person on the condition ecological system since 1500: from about this time we can talk about the reliability of the existence of certain organisms that are already preserved, since the observations of naturalists have been preserved. According to research, 884 species of animals have disappeared since the beginning of the 16th century, several dozen of which ceased to exist due to human fault.
Strange and unusual plants exist at all points globe. But most of them, of course, are in the tropics, where the climate has a beneficial effect on the appearance unusual shapes life.
Instructions
In Namibia there is a plant called Welwitschia. It looks and lives very unusual. Its lifespan is from 1.5 to 400 thousand years, and all this time on the surface of the earth this plant is represented by only two huge leaves that grow throughout its life. Sometimes the leaves reach 8 meters in length. The main source of moisture for this strange plant is fog, it grows only there, fogs. Velvichia can survive for up to 5 years without rain, relying only on atmospheric moisture. Local residents bake the shoots of the plant in a fire and eat it.
The climate of northern latitudes does not allow nature to experiment with plants, and therefore the inhabitants of the tropics sometimes amaze with their size. On the Mediterranean coast, for example, Dracunculus is often found - its flower can be up to half a meter in diameter. The bulb, from which emerges a fast-growing peduncle up to a meter in height, is also quite large. On the stem there is a pair of carved leaves, shaped like deer antlers. Then a huge one appears, growing day by day, but at the moment of opening it can disappoint connoisseurs of beauty. Dracunculus is pollinated by carrion beetles and is attracted to them by the smell of rotten meat. Therefore, the plant is often planted not in front of windows or in a recreation area, but at a distance - this way you can admire its splendor without suffering from the aroma. This flower grows in Crete, Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. It is not popular in its homeland and is considered a weed. The plant is heat-loving, loves sunny places, but can withstand frosts down to -5 without harm.
Eucalyptus trees are mostly native to Australia and provide food for koalas. But the well-known eucalyptus on Philippine island Rainbow eucalyptus grew in Mindanao, which was later brought to South Florida. The cool climate did not suit the inhabitant of the tropics very well, and it does not grow up to 70 meters, as in its homeland, but its bark is still painted in all the colors of the rainbow. The tree renews its bark and leaves throughout the year, and the young bark has a bright green color. As it ages and darkens, it takes on shades of purple, blue, burgundy, orange flowers. Alternating on the trunk, layers colorful bark reminiscent of an artist's palette. His photos are often mistaken for the creations of artists. The plant is grown for decorative purposes, although useful qualities This tree has a lot. Pests do not damage these trees, and they hardly get sick, and the eucalyptus wood has a uniform, completely normal color, despite the variegated wrapper.
Among the steppe and meadow flora, on wastelands and sandstones, you can most often find lanceolate, large and medium plantain. Its widespread distribution is explained simply - one adult plant is capable of scattering about 60 thousand tiny seeds, easily caught by the wind. Despite the enormous rate of reproduction, individual species plantain are included in the Red Book of Latvia and some regions of Russia. Not everyone knows that plantain serves as food for butterflies and many types of insects.
Rich grass
Representatives of this type of perennial herbs contain in their leaves to varying degrees:
- mucus-forming substances (approximately 44%);
- proteins;
- fatty oils;
- tannins;
- organic acids;
- saponins;
- carbohydrates;
- vitamin C;
- carotenoids;
- alkaloids;
- chlorophyll and choline;
- phytoncides and polysaccharides;
- flavonoids.
This is just a small list of the main chemical components. The mineral series is represented by calcium, potassium, boron, bromine, barium and copper.
Medicine under your feet
Most pronounced medicinal properties have large, flea and Indian plantain. In pharmacology, leaves, roots, and seeds are used. Plantain extract is included in many cosmetic products.
The healing properties of plantain are known even to children - just apply a plantain leaf to a fresh abrasion, cut, bruise, insect bite site (bees, wasps, spiders) or a broken nose and after a few minutes you can forget about the problem.
In addition to anti-inflammatory and hemostatic properties, infusions and decoctions of plantain leaves have an enveloping, powerful expectorant and tonic effect, excellently reduce blood pressure and successfully heal wounds of various etymologies (eczema, erysipelas, snake bites); shown at various diseases gastrointestinal tract (colitis, ulcers, gastritis, catarrh, flatulence, etc.), mouth and eyes.
The infusion of seeds also has an expectorant, enveloping, and diarrheal effect. It is taken when diabetes mellitus and infertility in men and women (associated with low hormonal levels).
Plantain juice is able to suppress pathogenic microflora (pseudomonas and staphylococcal bacilli), is indicated for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and for the restoration of the cornea, and has proven itself in the treatment of toxicosis. Preserved in alcohol, it is especially effective in the treatment of tuberculosis and whooping cough.
Contraindications are increased acidity, low blood clotting, individual intolerance. Long-term use of drugs can lead to the same effects.
Video on the topic
Extinction is a natural process: typical species become extinct within 10 million years after their appearance on Earth. But today, when the planet faces a number of serious problems such as overpopulation, pollution environment, climate change, etc., species loss is occurring thousands of times faster than would occur naturally.
It is difficult to know exactly when certain species will disappear from the wild, but it is safe to say that thousands of animal species become extinct every year.
In this article, we take a look at the recently extinct animals that we will miss the most. From the Javan tiger and Caribbean monk seal to the Mauritian dodo (or dodo), here are 25 extinct ones we won't see again.
25. Madagascar pygmy hippopotamus
Once widespread on the island of Madagascar, the Madagascar pygmy hippopotamus was a close relative of the modern hippopotamus, although much smaller.
Initial estimates suggested that the species went extinct about a thousand years ago, but new evidence has shown that these hippos may have lived in wildlife up until the 1970s.
24. Chinese river dolphin
Known by many other names such as "baiji", "Yangtze River dolphin", "white-finned dolphin" or "Yangtze dolphin", the Chinese river dolphin was freshwater dolphin, who lived in the Yangtze River in China.
The population of Chinese river dolphins declined sharply by the 1970s as China began to intensively exploit the river for fishing, transport and hydroelectric power. The last known surviving Chinese river dolphin, Qiqi, died in 2002.
23. Long-eared kangaroo
Discovered in 1841, the long-eared kangaroo is an extinct species of the kangaroo family native to southeastern Australia.
It was a small animal, slightly larger and slimmer than its living relative, the red hare kangaroo. The last known specimen of this species was a female captured in August 1889 in New South Wales.
22. Javan tiger
Once common on the Indonesian island of Java, the Javan tiger was a very small subspecies of tiger. During the 20th century, the island's population increased manifold, leading to massive clearing of forests, which were converted into arable land and rice fields.
Habitat pollution and poaching have also contributed to the extinction of this species. The Javan tiger has been considered extinct since 1993.
21. Steller's cow
Steller's cow (or sea cow, or cabbage cow) is an extinct herbivore marine mammal, which was once abundant in the North Pacific Ocean.
It was largest representative sirenian order, which includes its closest living relatives - the dugong and the manatee. Hunting of Steller's cows for their meat, skin and fat led to their complete extermination within just 27 years of the species' discovery.
20. Taiwanese clouded leopard
The Taiwanese clouded leopard was once endemic to Taiwan and a subspecies of clouded leopards, rare Asian cats that were considered an evolutionary link between big and small cats.
Over-logging has destroyed the animals' natural habitat, and the species was declared extinct in 2004 after 13,000 camera traps showed no evidence of Taiwanese clouded leopards.
19. Red gazelle
The rufous gazelle is an extinct species of gazelle that is believed to have lived in sediment-rich mountainous areas North Africa.
This species is known to only three individuals, purchased at markets in Algeria and Oman, north of Algeria, in late XIX century. These copies are kept in museums in Paris and London.
18. Chinese paddlefish
Sometimes also called "psefur", the Chinese paddlefish was one of the largest freshwater fish. Uncontrolled overfishing and destruction of natural habitat put the species at risk of extinction in the 1980s.
The last confirmed sighting of this fish was in January 2003 in the Yangtze River, China, and the species has since been considered extinct.
17. Labrador eider
The Labrador eider is believed by some scientists to be the first endemic bird species in North America to disappear after the Columbus Exchange.
It was already a rare bird before the arrival of European settlers, and became extinct soon after. The females were gray in color, while the males were black and white. The Labrador eider had an elongated head with small, beady eyes and a strong beak.
16. Iberian ibex
Once endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, Pyrenean ibex was one of four subspecies of the Spanish ibex.
In the Middle Ages wild goat was abundant in the Pyrenees, but the population declined rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries due to uncontrolled hunting. In the second half of the 20th century, only a small population survived in this region, and in 2000 the last representative of this species was found dead.
15. Mauritian dodo, or dodo
is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius in Indian Ocean. According to subfossil remains, Mauritian dodos were about a meter tall and may have weighed up to 21 kg.
ABOUT appearance Mauritian dodos can only be judged from drawings, images and written sources, therefore the life-time appearance of this bird is not known for certain. The dodo is used in popular culture as a symbol of extinction and the gradual disappearance of a species.
14. Orange Toad
Orange toads were small, up to 5 cm long, toads that used to be found in a small highland region north of the city Monteverde, Costa Rica.
The last living specimen of this animal was discovered in May 1989. Since then, no signs have been recorded confirming their existence in nature. The sudden disappearance of this beautiful frog, may have been caused by a chytridiomycete fungus and extensive habitat loss.
13. Choiseul pigeon
Sometimes also referred to as the tufted thick-billed pigeon, the Choiseul pigeon is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to Choiseul Island in the Solomon Islands, although there are unconfirmed reports that members of the species may have lived on some nearby islands.
The last documented sighting of the Choiseul pigeon was in 1904. It is believed that these birds became extinct due to predation by cats and dogs.
12. Cameroonian black rhinoceros
As a subspecies of the black rhinoceros - a critically endangered species of rhinoceros - the Cameroonian black rhinoceros was once widespread throughout many African countries, including Angola, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Chad, Rwanda, Botswana, Zambia and others, but irresponsible hunting and poaching had reduced the population of this amazing animal to just the last few individuals by 2000. In 2011, this subspecies of rhinoceros was declared extinct.
11. Japanese wolf
Also known as the Ezo wolf, the Japanese wolf is an extinct subspecies common wolf, which once inhabited the coast of Northeast Asia. Its closest relatives were North American wolves rather than Asian ones.
The Japanese wolf was exterminated on the Japanese island of Hokkaido during the Meiji Restoration, when reforms in agriculture American style was accompanied by the use of strychnine baits to kill predators that posed a threat to livestock.
10. Caribbean monk seal
Nicknamed the “wolf of the sea,” the Caribbean monk seal was a large species of seal that inhabited the Caribbean. Excessive hunting of seals for oil and depletion of their food sources are the main reasons for the extinction of the species.
The last confirmed sighting of a Caribbean monk seal dates back to 1952. These animals were not seen again until 2008, when the species was officially declared extinct after a five-year search for survivors that came to nothing.
9. Eastern Puma
The eastern cougar is an extinct species of cougar that once lived in northeastern North America. The eastern cougar was a subspecies of the North American cougar, a large cat that inhabited much of the United States and Canada.
Eastern cougars were declared extinct by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011.
8. Great Auk
The great auk was a large flightless bird of the auk family that became extinct in the mid-19th century. Once widespread throughout the North Atlantic, from Spain, Iceland, Norway and the UK to Canada and Greenland, this beautiful bird was exterminated by man for its fluff, which was used to make pillows.
7. Tarpan
Also known as the Eurasian wild horse, the tarpan is an extinct subspecies wild horse, which once lived throughout most of Europe and some regions of Asia.
Since tarpans were herbivores, their habitat was continuously decreasing due to the growing civilization of the Eurasian continent. Combined with the incredible extermination of these animals for their meat, this has led to their complete disappearance at the beginning of the 20th century.
6. Cape Lion
An extinct subspecies of lion, the Cape lion lived along the Cape Peninsula on the southern tip of the African continent.
This majestic big cat disappeared very quickly after Europeans arrived on the continent. Dutch and English colonists and hunters simply exterminated this species of animal at the end of the 19th century.
5. Falkland fox
Also known as the warra or Falkland wolf, the Falkland fox was the only native land mammals Falkland Islands.
This endemic canid went extinct in 1876, becoming the first known canid to go extinct in historical times. This animal is believed to have lived in burrows and its diet consisted of birds, larvae and insects.
4. Reunion giant turtle
Endemic to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, the Reunion giant tortoise was a large turtle, up to 1.1 meters long.
These animals were very slow, curious and not afraid of people, which made them easy prey for the first inhabitants of the island, who exterminated turtles in a huge number- as food for people and pigs. The Reunion giant tortoise became extinct in the 1840s.
3. Kioea
The kioea was a large, up to 33 cm long, Hawaiian bird that became extinct around 1859.
Kioea was a rare bird even before its discovery Hawaiian Islands Europeans. Even the native Hawaiians did not seem to know about the existence of this bird.
Only 4 specimens of this beautifully colored bird have survived in different museums. The reason for their extinction still remains unknown.
2. Megaladapis
Informally known as koala lemurs, megaladapis are an extinct genus of giant lemurs that once lived on the island of Madagascar.
To clear the place, the first settlers of the island burned local dense forests, which were natural environment habitat of these lemurs, which, combined with excessive hunting of the animal, significantly contributed to the extinction of these slow-moving animals.
1. Quagga
The quagga is an extinct subspecies of savannah zebra that lived in South Africa until the 19th century.
Because these animals were fairly easy to track and kill, they were hunted en masse by Dutch colonists (and later Boers) for their meat and hides.
Only one single quagga was photographed during its lifetime (see photo), and only 23 skins of these animals have survived to this day.
Sea cow
Sea cow – shining example man's predatory attitude towards nature. The species was discovered by Bering's expedition in 1741. This animal, extinct due to the fault of man, was distinguished by sedentary lifestyle life and apathy. The sea cow, or cabbage fish, reached an impressive size - about 8 meters in length. One of the characteristics of the animal was its complete lack of fear of people. Unfortunately, these sea creatures had tasty meat. By 1768, the modest population of sea cows had been decimated by humans. The closest relative of the sea cow is the dugong.
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Javan tiger
The list of extinct animals due to human fault continues Javan tiger. He belonged to the smallest subspecies of tigers. Habitat: Java Island. The reason for the extinction is active hunting and destruction of the animal’s habitat by humans. By the mid-80s of the 20th century, only three individuals of the Javan tiger had survived. Last time he was seen in 1979. The species is considered extinct, although there are occasional reports of tigers being seen on the island of Java. Zoologists are skeptical about this, believing that a leopard is being mistaken for a Javan tiger.
Other subspecies of tigers are also on the verge of extinction. For example, the Sumatran tiger population currently numbers only 300 individuals.
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Tasmanian wolf
Tasmanian wolf(thylacine) is the only representative of marsupial wolves in the world, completely destroyed by man. Habitat: Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. Europeans first encountered the Tasmanian wolf in the 18th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, hunting for animals was opened. Farmers considered wolves the main enemy for their sheep. As a result, a few animals survived only in hard-to-reach places in Tasmania. In the 20th century, due to canine distemper that broke out on the island, the population of the Tasmanian wolf declined catastrophically. Despite this, it was not listed as a protected species and hunting for it was not officially prohibited. Last wild Tasmanian wolf was killed in 1930. Scientists suggest that isolated representatives of the species could survive in hard-to-reach places on the island. Despite the high reward offered for the capture of the animal, there is no documentary evidence that the Tasmanian wolf is not extinct.
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Mauritian dodo
The most famous representatives of animals extinct due to the fault of humans include the dodo or Mauritian dodo. It has disappeared so quickly since the discovery of this species of flightless bird by European travelers that for a long time scientists considered the dodo a mythical creature.
Habitat: Mauritius island. The dodo was first discovered by Dutch sailors in the 16th century. From that moment on, the bird was subjected to intensive extermination and disappeared in the middle of the 17th century. The Dodo became famous thanks to Lewis Carroll, who made it a character in Alice in Wonderland. The writer identified Dodo with himself.
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Tour, one of the most famous subspecies of the wild bull, is another representative of animals that became extinct due to economic activity man and hunting. The primitive aurochs were exterminated in Africa and Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC. In Central Europe, its population has begun to decline since deforestation. By the 15th century, the animals were taken under protection, but their numbers were steadily declining. The last tour disappeared in the middle of the 17th century. Enthusiasts from different countries are reviving tours.
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Black rhinoceros
Black rhinoceros(Cameroonian subspecies) is another representative of animals that became extinct due to human fault. Its name is arbitrary, since the color of the animals depends on the color of the soil of the area where they live. Until the mid-19th century, the black rhinoceros was an ordinary inhabitant of Africa. But then, thanks to the belief in the miraculous power of the horns, a hunt was opened for them. Animal horns were also used as material for dagger handles. Now total number black rhinoceroses do not exceed 4 thousand individuals, but the Cameroonian subspecies did not survive extermination by poachers and was declared extinct in 2011.
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Carolina parrot
Carolina parrot, the only representative of the genus, became another sad example of animals, extinct due to human fault. Lived in North America and became extinct as a result of merciless hunting. The last Carolina parrots were seen in 1926. The species is officially declared extinct.
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Moa- giant wingless birds that became extinct due to the fault of humans in the 16th century. Lived in New Zealand. Some species had gigantic size– up to 3.6 meters in height. Moa were herbivores. They ate fruits, leaves and shoots. They became extinct at the beginning of the 16th century. In the disappearance of these amazing creatures the Majoris, the indigenous people of New Zealand, are to blame.
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Passenger pigeon
Passenger pigeon- an example of how the most common bird on Earth can be destroyed by humans. Lived in North America. The population decline began in the 19th century. This was facilitated by many reasons, among which poaching was in first place. The meat of the passenger pigeon was very tasty, and the inhabitants of the northern states mercilessly destroyed the birds. The last representatives of the species disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century.
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Abingdon elephant tortoise
Abingdon elephant tortoise- in 1st place in the sad list of animals that have become extinct due to human fault.
Many people followed the fate of Lonesome George. He was the last member of the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies. Last years He spent his life on the island of Santa Cruz, where the Darwin Research Station is located. For many years, zoologists did not lose hope of getting George's offspring by crossing with related species, but the egg embryos turned out to be non-viable. On June 24, 2012, the last of the Abingdon giant elephant tortoises died at about 100 years of age. This subspecies of Galapagos tortoise is now officially declared extinct.
Humans are to blame for the disappearance of elephant turtles. For hundreds of years they were used as live canned food, transported in the holds of ships.
The statistics on endangered animal species are horrifying. Thanks to human economic activity, we lose several species of animals, plants, birds and insects every day. We are the main cause of the catastrophic death of the animal and plant world of the Earth. Today, 40% of living beings are on the verge of extinction and this terrible figure is only increasing.
The population of our planet is increasing year by year, but the number of wild animals, on the contrary, is decreasing.
Humanity is influencing the extinction of a large number of animal species by expanding its cities, thereby taking away from the fauna natural places a habitat. Very important role What matters is that people are constantly developing more and more new lands for crops and crops.
It should be noted that sometimes the expansion of megacities has a positive effect on some species of animals: rats, pigeons, crows.
Conservation of biological diversity
At the moment, it is very important to preserve everything, because it was created by nature millions of years ago. The diversity of animals presented is not just a random accumulation, but a single coordinated working connection. The extinction of any species will entail major changes throughout the entire ecosystem. Each species is very important and unique for our world.
As for the endangered unique species animals and birds, then they should be treated with special care and protection. Since they are the most vulnerable and humanity can lose this species at any time. It is savings rare species animals becomes a priority task for every state and people in particular.
The main reasons for the loss of various animal species are: degeneration of the animal's habitat; uncontrolled hunting in prohibited areas; killing animals to create products; habitat pollution. All countries of the world have certain laws to protect against extermination of wild animals, regulating rational hunting and fishing; in Russia there is a law on hunting and use of wildlife.
At the moment, there is the so-called Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, established in 1948, where all rare animals and plants are listed. In the Russian Federation there is a similar one, where a record of our country’s endangered species is kept. Thanks to the state policy, it was possible to save sables and saigas, which were on the verge of extinction, from extinction. Now it is even allowed to hunt them. The number of kulans and bison has increased.
Saigas could have disappeared from the face of the Earth
Extinction anxiety biological species not far-fetched. So, if we take the period from the beginning of the seventeenth century to the end of the twentieth (about three hundred years), 68 species of mammals and 130 species of birds became extinct.
According to statistics, which is in charge of International Union nature conservation, every year one species or subspecies is destroyed. The phenomenon of partial extinction, that is, extinction in certain countries, has become very common. So in Russia in the Caucasus, humans contributed to the fact that nine species have already become extinct. Although this happened before: according to archaeological reports, musk oxen were in Russia 200 years ago, and in Alaska they were recorded before 1900. But there are still species that we can lose in a short time.
List of endangered animals
3. . Negatively affects reproduction sea lions deterioration environmental conditions, as well as infection from wild dogs.
4. Cheetah. They are killed by farmers because cheetahs prey on livestock. They are also hunted by poachers for their skins.
5. . The decline of the species is due to degradation of their habitat, illegal trade in their young, and infectious contamination.
6. . Their population has been reduced by the change climatic conditions and poaching.
7. Collared sloth. The population is declining due to tropical deforestation.
8. . The main threat is poachers who sell rhino horn on the black market.
9. . The species is being forced out of its habitat. Animals have a low birth rate in principle.
10. . This species is also a victim of poaching because Ivory has great value.
eleven. . This species was actively hunted for its pelts and pasture competition.
12. . Changes in the bears' habitat due to global warming are affecting the decline of the species.
13. . The population is declining due to.
14. . The species has been reduced due to hunting and the danger of bears to humans.
15. . The species is being destroyed due to conflicts with people, active hunting, infectious diseases and climate change.
16. Galapagos tortoise. They were actively destroyed and their habitats were changed. Animals that were brought to the Galapagos had a negative impact on their reproduction.
17. . The species is declining due to natural disasters and poaching.
18. . The population has been reduced due to shark fishing.
19. . The species is becoming extinct due to infectious diseases and habitat changes.
20. . Illegal trade meat and bones of the animal led to a decline in the population.
21. . The population suffers due to constant oil spills.
22. . The species is declining due to whaling.
23. . The species has become a victim of poaching.
24. . Animals are suffering due to habitat loss.
25. . The population is declining due to urbanization processes and active deforestation.
The list of endangered animals is not limited to these species. As we see, the main threat is a person and the consequences of his activities. Exist government programs conservation of endangered animals. And every person can make a contribution to the conservation of endangered animal species.