Extinct Animals in The Last 100 Years

Speciation, the evolution of biological species, and extinction, the end of biological species, are important attributes of the ecology. The term extinction, in ecology, refers to the end of a specific group of taxa. In simple words, the death of the last individual of a particular species is considered to be the moment of extinction of that species. Over the years, the planet has witnessed the extinction of several species of animals, ranging from dinosaurs to frogs. Some were mass extinctions, while the others were virtually brought to the brink of extinction by human activities, before they were completely wiped off. This may come in as a surprise for many, but over the last 100 years alone, several animal species have become extinct.

List of Extinct Animals in the Last 100 Years

• Arabian Ostrich
• Atitlan Grebe
• Bali Tiger
• Barbary Lion
• Bubal Hartebeest
• Bushwren
• Canarian Black Oystercatcher
• Cape Verde Giant Skink
• Caribbean Monk Seal
• Carolina Parakeet
• Caspian Tiger
• Caucasian Wisent
• Colombian Grebe
• Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby
• Golden Toad
• Grand Cayman Thrush
• Guam Flying Fox
• Hawai'i 'O'o
• Heath Hen
• Japanese Sea Lion

• Javan Tiger
• Kaua'i 'O'o
• Laughing Owl
• Laysan Rail
• Little Swan Island Hutia
• Palestinian Painted Frog
• Paradise Parrot
• Passenger Pigeon
• Pyrenean Ibex
• Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard
• Round Island Burrowing Boa
• Ryukyu Wood-pigeon
• Santo Stefano Lizard
• Schomburgk's Deer
• South Island Piopio
• Tasmanian Wolf
• Thicktail Chub
• Toolache Wallaby
• Western Black Rhinoceros
• Wake Island Rail

Extinction of Animals Causes
There are several causes of extinction of several animal species, prominent among which are loss of habitat, global warming and hunting. Let's take a detailed look at these prominent causes which led to extinction of animals featuring in IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) extinct animals list over the last few decades.

Deforestation: Species-area math states that a non-linear relationship exists between the land area and the number of species residing in that area, which means lower the area, lesser the species and vice versa. Deforestation has caused the green zones of the planet to shrink, which has resulted in loss of habitat for several animal species. Some species have to venture out of their demarcated zones in search of food, which makes them more vulnerable to a life-threatening conflict with the mankind, while the others are wiped off owing to the extinction of a particular species on whom they had been dependent for food.

Global Warming: Scientists estimate that around 70 species of frogs have been wiped off the planet due to climate change. This is just the tip of the iceberg considering that approximately 100 to 200 species of animals, including penguins and polar bears, have become more vulnerable to extinction, owing to this increase in global temperature. Extinction of animals due to global warming is a serious issue, which is just going to get more serious with time.

Hunting: The first name that comes to our mind when we hear the phrase 'extinction of animals due to hunting' is dodo. Extensive hunting of this flightless bird led to its extinction by mid 17th century. Early man hunted animals for food and though rarely, to protect himself. Today we see a more grievous picture of hunting, referred to as poaching, an attribute of animal cruelty wherein animals are hunted for economic gains. Various species, including cheetahs, tigers and elephants, have been extensively poached owing to the high demand for various animal products in the international market.

Other than these predation, diseases, competition, genetics and demographic phenomena also play a significant role in the extinction of several species from the planet. The long list of extinct animals in the world features more than 50 animal species that have been wiped off in last 100 years alone. These include mammals, birds, reptiles as well as amphibians.
Now let us have a detailed look at some of the prominent extinctions in last 100 years, and the causes behind these extinctions. May be going through the list will help us in realizing how we were, directly or indirectly, responsible for the tremendous loss our planet has undergone over the years.

Arabian Ostrich
Arabian ostrich, also known as the Middle Eastern ostrich, is a subspecies of ostrich native to the Arabian Peninsula. Arabian ostrich extinction was triggered by the widespread introduction of firearms, which made hunting a relatively easy task. By the beginning of 20th century, Arabian ostrich had become relatively rare, and by mid 20th century the bird had virtually vanished. The last sighting of this subspecies had been recorded in 1966, wherein a dying individual was found near Petra, Jordan.

Atitlan Grebe
The Atitlan Grebe, also known as the Giant Grebe or the Poc, was a water bird endemic to the Lago de Atitln in Guatemala. A full-grown bird reached to the length of about 46-50 cm and resembled the Pied-billed Grebe to a great extent. Introduction of the Smallmouth bass and Largemouth bass species of fish in Lake Atitlan in 1950s and 1960s, reduced the number of crabs and fish in the lake, thus depleting the source of food for the Atitlan Grebe. The population of these water birds decreased to 200 in 1960, and further to less than 80 by 1965. Though there was a slight recovery in 1970s, an earthquake, that hit Guatemala in 1976, fractured the lake bed and drained the water. This loss of habitat severely affected the Atitlan Grebe population and the bird was last seen in 1989.

Bali Tiger
The Bali tiger, native to a small island in Indonesia named Bali, is the smallest of the three subspecies of tigers found in Indonesia. The deforestation caused due to human encroachment was the major factor which affected the basic existence of the Bali tiger. This was followed by extensive hunting of this species, especially during the World War II, which had a serious impact on the tiger population and by the end of the World War II the animal was virtually extinct. The last documented sighting of a Bali tiger was in form of an adult female that was killed in West Bali in September 1937.

Barbary Lion
The Barbary lion, also known as the Atlas lion, was a subspecies of lion native to Northern regions of Africa. Weighing between 440 to 600 lbs, the Barbary lion was considered to be the heaviest among the lion subspecies. Excessive hunting led to the depletion of Barbary lion population in the wild. Loss of habitat due to the expansion of agricultural lands was also a prominent cause of Barbary lion extinction. Initially declared extinct, the animal was later given the special status - 'extinct in the wild' (EW) by the IUCN as a few individuals were found to be alive in captivity in zoos and circus.

Bubal Hartebeest
The Bubal Hartebeest was a subspecies of antelope that inhabited the African nations of Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The animal was caught and domesticated by the Egyptians in order to perform sacrifices. By the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Bubal Hartebeest depleted to a large extent, and its habitat was only restricted to Algeria and Morocco. In Morocco, hunting by French further decreased the number of this species. During the same time many individuals were caught and kept in the zoos, where they eventually died. The last known Bubal Hartebeest was a female that died in a zoo in Paris in 1923 thus bringing an end to this antelope subspecies.

Bushwren
The Bushwren was a small bird, native to New Zealand, which was characterized by nesting on or near the ground. It was found in abundance throughout the country till the introduction of mustelids - predatory mammal from weasel family, was introduced on the Island. The first half of the 20th century was marked by rare sightings of Bushwren. A subspecies of the bird, Stead's Bushwren, found on Stewart Island, got extinct due to excessive predation by the feral cats. As the last attempt to revive the population, they were transferred to Kaimohu Island, where the last sighting took place in 1972.

Canarian Black Oystercatcher
The Canarian Black Oystercatcher, more popular as the Canary Islands Oystercatcher, was a shorebird found on the Canary Islands in Spain. The bird disappeared from its natural habitat in the beginning of the 20th century. It is assumed that the disturbance by the local people and predation by rats were the prominent reasons for the extinction of Canarian Black Oystercatcher. Some theories also suggested that loss of habitat was responsible for the extinction. According to the local fishermen and the lighthouse keepers, the last sighting of this species happened in 1940s. After several attempts to find this bird failed, finally it was declared extinct through IUCN Red List for 1994.

Cape Verde Giant Skink
Cape Verde Giant Skink, also known as the Cocteau's Skink, was a reptile endemic to the Cape Verde islands of the Atlantic Ocean. Loss of habitat, owing to human activities, is supposed to be the main cause of extinction of Cape Verde Giant Skink species. These reptiles were hunted extensively for food and 'skink oil' in the beginning of the 20th century. Some also suggest that prolonged drought that hit the area during this time led to the extermination of these species from the Cape Verde Islands. Attempts to breed these reptiles in captivity were of no avail, and finally Cape Verde Giant Skink was declared extinct in 1914.

Caribbean Monk Seal
The Caribbean monk seal, also known as the West Indian monk seal is a species of seal native to the Caribbean sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The male Caribbean monk seals could grow to a length of 3.5 meters and weigh up to 440 lbs, while the females were a bit smaller. The last recorded sighting of the Caribbean monk seal was at the Serranilla Bank in the western Caribbean Sea in 1952. It is the only species of seal, which was driven to extinction by human activities. More on Caribbean monk seal declared extinct.

Carolina Parakeet
The Carolina Parakeet was the only species of parrot native to the eastern United States. It inhabited the forests ranging from Ohio Valley to the Gulf of Mexico. There were several reasons for the extinction of this species, most prominent being clearing of forest land for agricultural purpose, which led to loss of habitat for the bird. They were extensively hunted for their colored feathers, which were used for decoration. Large-scale culling was executed by farmers, who considered these birds to be pests. Some theories also suggest introduction of honey bees and a mysterious poultry disease played an important role in extinction of these beautiful birds. The last Carolina Parakeet in the wild was killed in Florida in 1904, while the last individual of this species in captivity died in Cincinnati Zoo in 1918.

Caspian Tiger
The Caspian tiger, also referred to as the Persian tiger, is a subspecies of the Siberian tiger native to the vast regions of Western and Central Asia. The extinction of the Caspian tiger can also be attributed to the large-scale extermination of this animal by the Russian administration to reclaim land in the beginning of the 20th century. Different accounts suggest a different date, ranging from 1940s to as recent as 1997, as the last sighting of the Caspian tiger, but most of these accounts confirm that the Caspian tiger got extinct in 1950s.

Caucasian Wisent
The Caucasian Wisent was a subspecies of wisent, the European bison, native to the Caucasus mountains in eastern Europe. Until the 17th century, Caucasian wisent was only threatened by predators such as the Asiatic lion, the Caspian tiger, wolves and bears. With the commencement of human settlement in these mountains, the range of Caucasian Wisent decreased considerably. At the same time these species were confronted by a new threat - poaching. Excessive poaching and loss of habitat depleted the wisent population to a great extent, with the number falling to less than 600 by 1917, and further down to less than 50 by 1921. The failure to curb local poaching resulted in the extinction of Caucasian Wisent, with the last reported individual being killed in 1927.

Colombian Grebe
The Colombian grebe was an aquatic bird native to the Bogota wetlands in Colombia. The population of these subspecies of grebe was largely hit by loss of habitat and predation. Wetland drainage, siltation and reed harvest led to destruction of Colombian grebe habitat to a great extent. More importantly, predation by rainbow trouts and hunting by humans curbed the growth of grebe population in this area, with only 300 individuals surviving by 1968. The Colombian grebe population further declined drastically with only a few sightings reported in 1970s, with the last sighting being reported in 1977.

Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby
The Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby was a subspecies of the Nail-tail Wallaby which inhabited the woodlands and scrubs of the west and center of Australia. This animal was found in abundance in Western Australia till the onset of 20th century, but within a decade the wallaby population witnessed a steep slide. Rare sightings continued for some more time till 1920s. The last collected Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby was found trapped in a dingo trap in 1927. The species did survive in wild till 1950s, but the spread of red fox finally triggered Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby extinction.

Golden Toad
The Golden toad, also referred to as the Monteverde toad or the Orange toad, was a true toad endemic to the cloud-covered tropical forests of Costa Rica. The beautiful amphibian disappeared from the Earth's ecosystem in 1989. The extinction of Golden toad is believed to be a part of the large-scale decline of amphibian population owing to sudden climate change triggered by global warming. Among the other factors held responsible for the sudden extinction of the toad species, the prominent ones are fungal epidemic which swiped out the amphibian population and unusual warm dry climate, which led to early evaporation of pools even before the tadpoles matured.

Grand Cayman Thrush
The Grand Cayman Thrush was a bird from the Turdidae family, endemic to Grand Cayman i.e. the largest of the three Cayman Islands. Soon after its discovery, this beautiful bird became a favorite among the bird collectors. More importantly, the habitat of Grand Cayman Thrust was largely affected due to excessive deforestation and frequently occurring hurricanes between 1932 and 1944. Loss of habitat made them an easy prey for hunters and bird collectors alike. By the end of the first quarter of 20th century, the bird had virtually become extinct. The last reported sighting of this species was in the north of East End in 1938.

Guam Flying Fox
The Guam Flying Fox was a small megabat or fruit bat, native to Guam the southernmost islands among the Marianas island chain. Considered a delicacy in Marianas, this species of fruit bat was extensively hunted as a food source, which led to its extinction in the mid 20th century. Other than this loss of habitat owing to World War II and predation by brown tree snakes led to extermination of the Guam flying fox from the island. The last Guam flying fox was spotted at Tarague cliff in 1967.

Hawai'i 'O'o
The Hawai'i 'O'o was a bird from the Mohoidae family of birds, which was found in abundance in the island of Hawaii. The striking plumage of this bird proved to be a curse for the species as it was hunted extensively to collect the feathers, which were used in decorations. These birds were also caught and sold as song birds, which mostly resulted its death in captivity. The introduction of musket made hunting much easier and by the end of 19th century, the bird had almost disappeared with rare appearances once in a while. The Hawai'i 'O'o was last seen on Mauna Loa, a volcano on south central Hawaiian island, in 1934.

Heath Hen
The Heath hen was a subspecies of the Greater Prairie-Chicken native to the heathland barrens of coastal New England. This species was found in abundance during the colonial regime, but extensive hunting for food brought about a drastic fall in their number and by the mid 19th century, the bird got extinct from the mainland and only a few hundreds were left on the island off Massachusetts. The number further declined and by the beginning of the 20th century the number of birds left was less than 100. However a destructive fire, unusual predators and then the blackhead disease killed the remaining population, and the last male Heath hen died in 1932, thus bringing an end to the species.

Japanese Sea Lion
The Japanese sea lion, native to the coastal areas of Japanese Archipelago and the Korean peninsula, was a species of the otariidae family of sea lions and fur seals. Although, these sea lions preferred the flat open sandy beaches for breeding, they used to also bred in rocky areas in the vicinity. Japanese sea lion was exploited in large scale owing to the high value for its skin and oil in the international market. Some internal organs of this animal were also used in Oriental medicine and thus were in great demand. Overfishing of the species brought their number to less than 300 in 1915 and eventually to just a few dozens by 1930. Other reasons for the extinction of Japanese sea lion were loss of habitat due to submarine warfare in World War II and capturing of the species for circus trade. The last colony of these sea lions was sighted in 1950s, while the last confirmed sighting of an individual of this species was in 1974.

Javan Tiger
Javan tiger was a small subspecies of tiger endemic to Java in Indonesia. The Javan tiger was small compared to most of the tiger species. Excessive hunting and loss of habitat led to the extinction of the Javan tiger in the 1980s. Increase in human settlements on these islands led to habitat destruction for the Javan tiger as well as the Bali tiger. This reduction in habitat eventually resulted in competition with leopards and wild dogs for the available prey species. Excessive hunting also added to the woes of this animal. By 1950s, only around 25 tigers were surviving in the wild. The number went declining and soon resulted in extinction of the Javan tiger with the last confirmed sighting coming way back in 1972.

Kaua'i 'O'o
The Kaua'i 'O'o, native to the Kauai island in Hawaii, was smallest among the Hawaiian honey eater birds. The bird was abundantly found in the subtropical forests of the Kaua'i island until when the decline in its population began in the beginning of the 20th century. Introduction of the Black rat, domestic pigs and mosquitoes which were the carriers of certain avian diseases led to the fall in the population of this beautiful bird. It was last heard of in 1987. None of the efforts to revive the population of Kaua'i 'O'o yielded any results and the species was finally declared extinct.

Laughing Owl
The Laughing owl, also referred to as the White-faced owl, was found in abundance in New Zealand in the 19th century. The Laughing owl generally preferred rocky areas with low rainfall. Owing to the abuse of this species as specimens and loss of habitat due to land use changes, the population of this species began to decline in the last quarter of the 19th century. Furthermore introduction of predators such as cats also contributed to the extinction of Laughing owl. The owl had virtually become extinct by 1880 with just occasional sightings once in a while. The last confirmed sighting came from Canterbury, New Zealand in July, 1914.

Laysan Rail
The Laysan rail, also referred to as the Laysan crake, was a tiny bird that inhibited the Laysan island in the Hawaii group. Introduction of rabbits led to habitat loss for the Laysan rail and World War II finally wiped off the species from the planet. With no predators to curb the number of rabbits, they ate the entire vegetation. There were around 2000 matured birds on the island in 1910, but within 13 years, i.e. by 1923, the number dropped to less than 10. Attempts to revive the Laysan rail population got a major setback when a US Navy landing craft accidentally broke free and drifted to islands, and all the rats onbaord ended up on the island thus colonizing it and marking the extinction of the Laysan rail species by 1944.

Little Swan Island Hutia
The Little Swan Island Hutia was a guinea-pig-like rodent native to the Swan Islands in the Caribbean. It was a slow moving creature which left the caves and lime stone crevices to feed on barks, twigs and leaves. It was assumed to be a subspecies of Jamaican Hutia, supposedly brought to Swan Islands from Jamaica. Once found in abundance on the island, the Little Swan Island Hutia population received a major blow in form of a hurricane in 1955, which resulted in loss of habitat for this creature. Eventually the introduction house cats on the island led to the extinction of Little Swan Island Hutia after occasional sightings in early 1950s.

Palestinian Painted Frog
The Palestinian painted frog, also known as the Israel painted frog, was a subspecies of frog endemic to the Lake Huleh marshes in Israel. Israeli drainage of the marshes was the most prominent factor, which led to the extinction of the Palestinian painted frog. The last documented recovery of this frog dates back to 1955, wherein a single specimen was found. Although it was declared extinct by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it's still regarded as one of the endangered species in Israel.

Paradise Parrot
The Paradise Parrot was a colorful medium-sized parrot native to the Queensland - New South Wales border area of northeastern Australia. Several factors contributed to the extinction of Paradise Parrot, the prominent factors being loss of habitat due to over grazing and land clearing, extensive hunting by bird collectors and predation by several cat species. By the end of 19th century, the sighting of this bird had relatively become rare, and by 1915 it had virtually become extinct. A few more sightings took place over the next decade before the Paradise Parrot finally became extinct. The last confirmed sighting took place in 1927.

Passenger Pigeon
The most common bird in North America at a point of time, today the Passenger Pigeon is only found in International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) extinct animals list. The Passenger Pigeons, also known as wild pigeons, were found in large migratory flocks containing millions of birds. This bird was a major source of food for the native Indians, as well as European travelers and therefore large-scale hunting was one of the most important factor which led to a drastic decline in their numbers. The first decade of 20th century was marked by rare individual sightings, before it finally became extinct after the last confirmed sighting in 1912.

Pyrenean Ibex
The Pyrenean Ibex was a subspecies of the Spanish Ibex, found in abundance in the Pyrenees mountain range between France and Spain. Inability to compete with other species in the region and extensive poaching led to depletion of Pyrenean Ibex population to a great extent, with less than 100 individuals surviving by 1900 and eventually less than 40 in 1910. Various conservation measures ensured that the animal lived for another few decades, but the population remained negligible throughout the century, before finally getting extinct in 2000, when the last living individual of this species got crushed beneath a falling tree. An attempt to clone Pyrenean Ibex seemed successful with a young one being born in January 2009, but died within a few hours of its birth due to lung failure.

Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard
The Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard was a lizard subspecies endemic to a small islet on the Canary Islands. Initially, the only threat to this Giant Lizard was feral cat predation, but human intervention in the beginning of 20th century gave a serious jolt to the Lizard population in this area. Commercial exploitation owing to the large-scale collection of the species for scientific usage, led to depletion of the Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard population to a great extent. After several attempts to revive the population failed, the species finally disappeared in late 1930s.

Round Island Burrowing Boa
The Round Island Burrowing Boa, or Bolyeria, was a reptile native to the Round Island in Mauritius. The reptile endemic to hardwood forest and palm savanna had a small habitat, ranging about 1.5 to 2 square km. Limited distribution had already made it vulnerable to extinction. Furthermore overgrazing by various herbivores triggered soil erosion, which led to loss of habitat for this reptile. By the end of first half of the 20th century, Round Island Burrowing Boa had already become rare and the last sighting was reported in 1975.

Ryukyu Wood-pigeon
The Ryukyu Wood-pigeon was a subspecies of pigeon endemic to Okinawa archipelago towards the south west of the Japanese mainland. The extinction of the Ryukyu Wood-pigeon can be attributed to habitat destruction. The tropical forests which were inhabited by this bird were subjected to large-scale deforestation for agricultural and settlement purpose. The Ryukyu Wood-pigeon depleted to a great extent in the first decade of the 20th century. By 1930s, these islands were completely deforested and this deforestation marked the habitat loss which eventually led to extinction of Ryukyu Wood-pigeon by 1936.

Santo Stefano Lizard
The Santo Stefano lizard was a small lizard species native to the Santo Stefano Island in the Tyrrhenian sea, off the coast of Italy. Although this lizard species was found in abundance on this island at one point of time, it just took the introduction of some predators and an endemic to wipe off the Santo Stefano lizard population within a few years. These lizards were hunted excessively by the feral cats and various snake species which brought a drastic decline in their population. Furthermore an epidemic of an unknown pathogen which broke out in mid 20th century led to wiping out of the remaining survivors. It was last sighted in 1965, before being officially declared extinct.

Schomburgk's Deer
The Schomburgk's Deer was a deer species native to Thailand. Their appearance had striking resemblance to Barasingha. Conversion of grassland and swamp areas to agricultural land in order to facilitate large-scale production of rice for export resulted in loss of habitat of Schomburgk's Deer. In the beginning of the 20th century, Schomburgk's Deer was also subjected to large-scale hunting which finally led to its extinction by 1930s. The last Schomburgk's Deer in captivity was killed in 1938, thus marking the end of this species.

South Island Piopio
The South Island Piopio, also known as New Zealand Trush, was a passeriform bird endemic to New Zealand. A common bird at one point of time, the South Island Piopio population began to decline at a rapid rate in the last quarter of the 19th century. This was mainly due to predation by rats and cats, which were introduced to the island along with human settlements. Further decline was also observed, owing to large-scale loss of habitat and human interference. In the last decade of the 19th century, the South Island Piopio was regarded to be the rarest bird in the country, but these rare sightings continued with a few decades to follow before finally becoming totally extinct. The last recorded sighting of this species happened in 1963.

Tasmanian Wolf
The Thylacine, more commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian Wolf, was native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. Being the last member Thylacinus genus, the extinction of Tasmanian Wolf in 1936 marked the extinction of the genus itself. The most prominent factors which led to the extinction of this animal were extensive hunting, introduction of dogs and human encroachment. Although debatable, yet another factor which supposedly played a vital role was the spread of diseases. The last known sighting of the Tasmanian wolf in the wild was recorded in 1930, when a local farmer killed one specimen in Mawbanna, while the last known specimen in captivity died in 1936.

Thicktail Chub
The Thicktail Chub was a small freshwater fish that inhabited the lowlands and weedy backwaters of Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in California. The Thicktail chub was one of the most common fish in California and in fact constituted approximately 40 percent of the fish population in Sacramento river. Thicktail Chubs extinction was triggered by habitat loss due to the conversion of a large part of land in Central Valley for agricultural use. Dam building, water diversion and other such agricultural projects led to a decline in the fish population. Further more competition with exotic species and hybridization blurred the chances of recovery and the Thicktail Chub became extinct in late 1950s.

Toolache Wallaby
The Toolache Wallaby was a subspecies of wallaby found in abundance near Australian provinces of South Australia and Victoria. Extensive hunting, predation by foxes and loss of habitat led to extinction of this wallaby subspecies from the Australian continent. The Toolache Wallabies were mainly hunted for fur. Wallaby hunting was also considered to be a sport, and the local hunters extensively hunted these creatures to obtain trophies. Owing to all these factors, the Toolache wallabies, which were once common in Australia, became very rare. Attempts to capture and transfer them to safer sanctuaries also failed and the species became extinct after a last sighting in 1943.

Western Black Rhinoceros
The Western Black Rhinoceros, also known as the West African Black Rhinoceros was a native to savanna of central-west Africa. This rhinoceros species was severely affected by heavy poaching in the beginning of the 20th century. By 1980s there were only few 100 Western Black rhinoceros left, and the number further declined to an estimated figure of 10 by 2000. Illegal poaching and failure on the part of the administration, either to curb poaching or punish poachers finally resulted in the extinction of Western Black rhino in 2006.

Wake Island Rail
The Wake Island Rail was a flightless bird endemic to Wake, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean. This land bird was found in abundance in its natural habitat, until when the World War II broke out. In course of the war, the Japanese forces who occupied the island were cut off from food supply and hence were left with no other option but to hunt and eat Wake Island Rails. Being a flightless land bird, it was an easy task to capture this bird bare handedly. This extensive culling of Wake Island Rails for food exterminated the whole rail population on the island by 1945.

These were the animals that got extinct in the last 100 years. Today they can be only seen in form of pictures in books and stuffed animals in museums. Other than all the members of Kingdom Animalia mentioned above, species like Dutch Alcon, Blue Desert Rat-kangaroo, Syrian Wild Ass and Thick-billed Ground-dove also became extinct in the last 100 years. But relatively less was known about these animals, and hence theories about their extinction do exist are not concrete.

The exact cause of the extinction of dinosaurs may not have been ascertained as yet, but the causes of extinction of almost all the faunae in the aforementioned list can be traced to human activities; either directly or indirectly. These range from loss of habitat caused by human activities to excessive hunting or poaching. The IUCN list of endangered animals is also growing longer with time. The rate at which we are losing these animals is alarming, and if proper measures are not taken soon we may end up losing a large chunk of animal kingdom. This will indirectly affect us, in fact the adverse effects have already started to show. Tigers will be left with no option, but to encroach human settlements for food if the deer population is exhausted. On the other hand if tiger population is exhausted, the number of herbivores will rise which in turn will lead to depletion of vegetation cover due to overfeeding by these herbivores. In short, extinction of a particular species puts tremendous pressure on the other species as well as the ecosystem. And its high time we understand that we are a part of the ecosystem and any alterations in the ecosystem are invariably going to effect us.