Humans are currently the most important creatures on Earth and the culprits of the greatest unnatural changes on Earth. Over the course of millions of years of evolution, humans have been responsible for the disappearance of some of the most impressive animal species.
In this article, we list 20 species of animals that have gone extinct as a result of humans. If this list is scary, consider that there are a lot of species that have gone extinct as a result of human activity, and even more species on the endangered list, which means they could become extinct in the coming years.
It is all the more incrusculable when we think that all humans on Earth represent only one-ten-thousandth (1 in 10,000) of earth's biomass, and that humans have such a powerful— and unfortunately negative, impact on earth. But we are the species on the planet that has the greatest impact on other creatures.
Do you know? In the last 500 years, more than 1,000 species have gone extinct because of us humans? Do you know? Before scientists discovered them or started tracking them, could there be thousands of other species that went extinct because of us?
Do you know? Just 70 years ago, there were more than 400,000 wild lions, and now only 25,000 are left? These numbers are truly terrifying and sad at the same time!
Back to today's topic, here are 20 species of animals that have gone extinct due to human activity:
This bird is found in Africa, mainly in the Madagascar region, and as its name suggests, it is enormous. The birds are up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall and their eggs weigh up to 10 kilograms each.
These impressive creatures have been extinct since the 13th century, although sightings have been reported until the 17th century.
This is the wild ancestor of domestic cattle. Due to the large-scale domestication and hunting of wild animals, it became extinct around the 1450s.
One of the most famous animals that went extinct due to human activity, this impressive bird was found mainly in Mauritius and became extinct around the 1660s.
It is an impressive bird that can reach 1 meter (3.3 feet) tall and weigh up to 17 kilograms (39 pounds). Due to its shape, it is now considered an iconic bird.
This is one of the most tragic stories of extinct animals. This giant aquatic creature was discovered in the Bering Sea in 1741, and it took humans just 27 years to witness its extinction.
The gentle monster weighs 10 tons and is 9 meters (30 feet) long, but it moves slowly and has no violent tendencies. It was hunted in large numbers and became extinct almost immediately after it was discovered.
These huge and impressive bears, once used by the Romans for gladiatorial combat, became extinct in the 1870s.
It is the only native land mammal in the Falkland Islands, but it became extinct in 1876. Unfortunately, this is the first of a growing number of canids in human history to go extinct.
Although many of its close relatives have been successfully reintroduced into the wild since the extinction of the Eastern elk, it became extinct in 1880.
Around the same time that the elk of the East became extinct, a smaller species living in the same geographical area also disappeared.
The seamine was hunted for its extremely soft and thick fur, and overhunting led to its death.
The spotted donkey looks like a strange hybrid of zebras and horses, with only the stripes characteristic of zebras on its upper body. The spotted donkey became extinct in 1883.
It's just a photo of a zoo creature, and looking at it makes us even sadder because this beautiful creature no longer exists.
Another extremely sad story about the extinction of animals due to human activity is that the passenger pigeon, a very migratory species that was once the most abundant bird in North America, is estimated to be between 3 billion and 5 billion. And today none exists!
Although they flew extremely fast, reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour, the entire species became extinct in the 19th century due to over-hunting (they were sold as cheap food) and deforestation.
When passenger pigeons were on the verge of extinction in North America, the same thing happened to this impressive owl in New Zealand.
The owl got its name from its distinctive call, and it was abundant until it became extinct in New Zealand until it became extinct in 1914.
A majestic creature that lived in North Africa and even had hieroglyphs (indicating that humans had known it since ancient times) became extinct in 1925.
Another impressive beast– the bison that lives in the Caucasus – became extinct in 1927.
Also known as the thylacine, it may have been the inspiration for the Disney cartoon character Taz, a species that had gone extinct in 1936. The reported shooting of the last Tasmanian tiger alive by a farmer is a sad reminder that any action counts.
Seals do not only live in zoos and Antarctica. They also lived in the Caribbean Sea before humans made them extinct in 1952.
Another solemn creature that no longer exists! It once lived in the wilderness of the Middle East and Central Asia, but it became extinct in the 1970s due to overhunting.
The golden toad is a small, shiny true toad that once bred in large numbers in a small, cloud-covered tropical forest area north of the city of Monteverde, Costa Rica. It was the first species in human history to be officially confirmed extinct due to climate change. This happened in 1989, and since then humanity has not slowed down...
It is a beautiful freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in China. The Chinese government has officially declared the white-and-dolphin extinct, although there were reports of sightings of the white-and-dolphin in 2006, so there is hope here.
Many of us still remember seeing this magnificent creature in the wild because it went extinct in 2011.
Rhinos are usually hunted only for their horns, which are considered extremely good for health, with one kilogram of rhino horn selling for more than $50,000. This is the main reason for their extinction.
The giant tortoise was only found in Ecuador's Pinta Islands, and in 2012, the species' last turtle, The Lone George, died while waiting for a companion at the zoo, and the species has gone extinct.
Some very sad stories of us seeing amazing animals disappear from the earth because of us. It's time to make a change, it's time to change the way we do, to start giving back to the planet, not just taking.
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