The species was officially declared extinct in the 1970s, with humans playing a significant role. Not only were tigers killed, but they also lost the majority of their habitat as a result of human settlement. Additionally, their normal prey, wild pigs and deer, were heavily hunted by people, resulting in food scarcity. In 2008, the Monk Seal was officially declared extinct. Public domain image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Extinction of animals may occur as a result of natural phenomena such as climate warming or cooling or changes in sea levels. However, in more recent times, human activity has been blamed. Along with pollution, the introduction of foreign species, and overfishing or hunting, habitat degradation is the primary driver of contemporary extinctions. However, climate change is increasingly being blamed for extinctions. The following are ten remarkable creatures that have been extinct. Continue reading to learn what occurred.
Elk of Ireland
The Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) was a deer species that roamed Eurasia's wide plains during the Late Pleistocene era. While it was dubbed the âIrish elk,â its habitat extended throughout Eurasia, from Ireland in the west to Russia in the east. The name Irish elk is derived from the fact that the majority of this species' skeleton remains were discovered in Irish bogs. While the claim that it was the world's biggest deer species is questionable, there is little doubt that it possessed the world's largest antlers. According to legend, the Irish elk went extinct because it was unable to adapt to the changes in climatic conditions on the globe after the last glacial era.
Although the passenger pigeon became extinct over a century ago, it is one of the most recently extinct creatures in terms of the earth's history. Although the passenger pigeon's abundance made it seem ineradicable, it became the poster child for wildlife conservationist organizations after its extinction. When Europeans started populating North America, most ecologists estimate that passenger pigeons numbered in the millions. On bright days, observers stated that sky darkened as flocks soared above. Passenger pigeons became extinct as farmers destroyed their habitat and hunters netted, shot, and poisoned them to death. The passenger pigeon's extinction served as a catalyst for the establishment of conservation in the twentieth century. In 1914, the last known bird perished at the Cincinnati Zoo.
