Recently the world was shocked by the extinction of the Dugong. This was revealed based on the results of monitoring conducted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Chinese Academy of Science for the last 5 years in coastal areas of China.
In the observation, only 3 people from coastal communities in China have seen Dugong in the last five years. In fact, it is not only the Dugong that has experienced extinction recently. There are several animals that have been declared extinct in recent times. The following is a list quoted from Deutsche Welle:
- Pinta’s Giant Tortoise
This turtle was officially extinct in 2012, which was marked by the death of the last Pinta Tortoise named George. This inhabitant of the Galapagos Islands became extinct due to whalers and merchant ships in the 19th century who used these animals as food. In addition, island deforestation is also one of the causes of the extinction of this Giant Pinta Tortoise.
- Bramble Cay Melomys
In 2019, this rat-like rodent was officially declared extinct. This extinction is caused by climate change that raises sea levels. As a result of sea levels rising, then washed away the vegetation used by Bramble Cay Melomys as shelter and food.
- Yangtze River Dolphin
In the past 20 years, no one has seen this animal, so it has been declared extinct in 2019. The extinction of this animal was caused by China’s rapid industrialization during the 20th century causing the Yangtze River Dolphin population to decrease.
- Spix’s Macaw
This species had its last moment of fame in 2011 when it was featured in the animated film “Rio”. The Spix Macaw was last seen in the wild in Brazil in 2016, and was declared extinct in the wild in 2019. However, there are currently around 160 Spix Macaws in captivity. The goal is that this conservation work can lead to success in increasing the population of this species.
- Western Black Rhino
In the 19th and 20th centuries, large-scale hunting led to a rapid population decline of this black rhino subspecies, which made it listed as critically endangered in 2008. In 2011, the animal was declared extinct. The bad news is that no Western Black Rhinos are kept in captivity, meaning the species is most likely lost forever.
- Ivory-billed Woodpecker
This ivory-billed woodpecker is an animal that inhabits areas in North America. However, there have been no confirmed sightings of this bird since 1987. In 2021, the US government Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that the species be declared extinct.