We consider extinction to be a silent process that took place somewhere in the dark ages. The dinosaurs aren’t the only ones that were prone to extinction. Humanity has been the reason for the total elimination of many creatures, while some were taken back by nature herself. Some of the animals portrayed here managed to survive until the photographic age. They may be long gone but through the unfocused, sepia and black-and-white photographs, we can still remember them. Here are 10 such animals that went extinct from the face of the Earth but are still preserved in photographs.
1. Thylacine, a.k.a – The Tasmanian Tiger.
The Thylacine or the Tasmanian Tiger once roamed around the mainlands in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. By the time the European settlement was starting, the rise in human activity brought it closer to extinction. The carnivorous marsupial of modern times stood about 2′ tall and 6′ long. Bounties placed on the thylacine prompted people to hunt them down, leading to its extinction. Other factors, such as diseases and the introduction of dogs, were also a key factor in pushing the Thylacine to its extinction. The last known male Thylacine was kept at the Beaumaris Zoo and can be seen in the picture above, taken in 1933.
2. Quagga.
Quagga, an extinct subspecies of the common zebra, roamed around the lands of South Africa during the 19th century. The photograph shown above was taken from the London zoo, which is sadly, the only one to ever be photographed. During the 19th century, they were hunted down for their meat, hides and as a feed for domesticated animals. This brought down the numbers from many to just one, as the last wild Quagga was shot in the 1870’s. The one pictured above was kept in the London zoo until its death in August of 1883.
3. Barbary Lion.
The Barbary Lion, also known as the Atlas lion or Nubian lion, was found from Morocco to Egypt. Unlike other lions, the Barbary Lion was the largest and heaviest of the lion subspecies. Lions often live in prides but the scarcity of food drove the Barbary Lions to hunt for themselves and live an individual life. According to some historians, the lions used in gladiatorial combats during the Roman times were Barbary lions. The photograph shown above was taken in 1893 in Algeria.
4. Tarpan.
This extinct subspecies of wild horse was also known as the Eurasian Wild Horse. Between 1875-1890, the Tarpan lived in the wild. While trying to capture one, humans ended up accidentally killing it. They stood 5′ tall at the shoulder, with a thick mane, shoulder stripes and dark legs. The image shown above is the only existing photo of a live Tarpan, while the last one was kept in captivity until its death in 1918.
5. Bali Tiger.
The Bali Tiger was native to the Indonesian island of Bali and was also known by the name Harimau Bali. Even though the picture above is not clear, it is proof of the smallest tiger subspecies to have ever lived. In 1937, the last Bali Tiger was killed. The tigers were shorter than their subspecies, with darker fur and the equivalent size of a leopard. Their extinction was due to hunting by Europeans and very few were known to live until the 1950’s.
6. Passenger Pigeon.
During the 19th century, Passenger Pigeons were the most abundant birds in North America and possibly the world. The bird was victimized by humans who hunted them out of existence by 1914. The pigeons were known for their extraordinary ability to fly. They were capable of flying up to 62 mph and the last wild bird was shot dead in 1901. A few managed to survive in the wild but deforestation and scarce food led to their extinction.
7. Golden Toad.
The Golden Toad was a small true toad (member of the family Bufonidae) which was abundant in the high altitude regions of Monteverde, Costa Rica. Scientists were only able to study the species for a small period of time, since the time of their discovery to their time of extinction was short. The 2″ long toads were first sighted in a 30 square mile area of the cloud forest in 1989. Scientists are not sure of the reason behind their extinction but many believe that habitat loss, chytrid fungus, as well as sudden changes in weather played a key role in their doom.
8. Western Black Rhino.
Rhinos have always been a target of poachers for their horns. The Western Black Rhino is a perfect example of how humanity can hunt a species to extinction. What was once abundant and roaming the forests of Africa, was declared extinct by 2001. Since the 1930’s, humanitarian groups and organizations had tried their best to preserve the species from the brink of extinction. Their efforts paid off and the species was growing in numbers before poaching soared again. By the beginning of the 21st century, only 10 of them remained and by 2006, all of them had fallen victim to poaching.
9. Caspian Tiger.
What was once known to be the largest cat species to ever exist, is only alive through pictures today. The Caspian Tiger lived on the shores of the Black Sea to those of the Caspian sea. The species were hunted into extinction during the beginning of the 19th century. When the Russians began colonizing Turkestan, the extinction route was paved for the Caspian Tigers. Several confirmed sightings of the species were found across Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan until the 1990’s.
10. Pinta Island Tortoise.
The most recent largest animal to be declared extinct is none other than the Pinta Island Tortoise. The subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise started to become extinct by the end of the 19th century. Thought to already be extinct, a few were spotted during the 20th century. In 1971, George (shown above), a 100+ year old male who was dubbed as the Lonesome George, was discovered. Sadly, George died on June 24, 2012, after suffering heart failure. It was not just George that died that day, an entire species went away with him.