Here is a list of wildlife you may not have heard of.
- Paradise Parrot (Extinct since the 1920s, confirmed in later decades) – Habitat destruction, overgrazing, and drought.
- Xerces Blue Butterfly (Extinct in the early 1940s) – The first butterfly known to go extinct in North America as a result of human activities–habitat loss due to urban expansion in San Francisco.
- Japanese Sea Lion (Extinct in the 1950s) – Overhunting for skins, whiskers, and oil, as well as capture for circuses.
- Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby (Extinct in the 1950s) – Predation by introduced species like foxes and cats.
- Bubal Hartebeest (Extinct in the 1950s) – Overhunting over centuries, leading to population collapse.
- St. Helena Darter (Extinct in 1963) – Habitat destruction on the volcanic island of St. Helena.
- Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) (Extinct in 1936, but confirmed in later decades) – Hunting by European colonists, habitat loss, and competition with introduced species.
A Common Thread
What ties these extinctions together? Human activities, including habitat destruction, hunting, pollution, and climate change, have significantly contributed to the acceleration of extinctions. Many species today face similar threats, including the critically endangered African penguin. Won’t you help us keep this iconic species off the list of extinct animals? Let’s make sure African penguins don’t go the way of the dodo, another flightless bird.