10 Animals That Have Gone Extinct in the Last 125 Years

While we can’t say exactly how many animal species have gone extinct in the past 125 years, it’s estimated that between 200 and 500 species have faced extinction in the past century. In the animal kingdom, when a species goes extinct, it means that the species doesn’t exist anywhere in the world. While sometimes this happens on its own and is out of our control, other factors can contribute to the extinction of an animal species as well.

Many of the animals that have gone extinct in the past 125 years were due to human activities such as pollution and the destruction of animal habitats. According to one report, human activity has led to the destruction of 60% of animal populations since 1970. To learn more about some of the animal species that no longer exist, check out these 10 animals that have gone extinct in the past 125 years.

Tasmanian Tiger

• Scientific name: Thylacinus cynocephalus
• Last seen: 1936

The Tasmanian tiger, also known as the Tasmanian wolf, was the last species of the Thylacinidae family to survive. This animal lived in Australia, mainly in the Australian state of Tasmania. In the 1930s, there was one Tasmanian Tiger left in captivity at the Beaumaris Zoo in Tasmania. Although the last Tasmanian Tiger died in 1936, there were some unconfirmed reports of Tasmanian Tiger sightings in the 1980s. It was officially declared extinct in 1986.

Sicilian Wolf

• Scientific name: Canis lupus cristaldii
• Last seen: 1924

The Sicilian wolf was a species of grey wolf that went extinct in the past 125 years. This wolf species was native to Sicily and it’s believed that it went extinct in the 1920s. There were some reports of sightings of the Sicilian Wolf as late as the 1960s, but these reports were not confirmed. The Sicilian wolves went extinct mainly because they were killed by humans since they were a threat to their livestock.

Japanese Sea Lion

• Scientific name: Zalophus japonicus
• Last seen: 1951

Also known as the black sea lion, the Japanese sea lion was native to Eastern Asia. This species was mostly found in the Northwest Pacific near Japan and Korea. Human activities directly caused the extinction of the Japanese Sea Lion since they were the only natural predators of this species. These animals were hunted for their meat, skin, oil, and internal organs. Although there were unconfirmed sightings of the Japanese Sea Lion later on, the last confirmed sighting occurred in 1951.

Crescent Nail-Tail Wallaby

• Scientific name: Onychogalea lunata
• Last seen: 1928

The crescent nail-tail wallaby was an animal that lived in various parts of Australia until the early 1900s. European settlement in Australia was a major factor that contributed to the extinction of this species since many settlers chose to hunt the crescent nail-tail wallaby for food. A crescent nail-tail wallaby was caught in 1928 and sent to the Taronga Zoo. This wallaby was the last one caught in Australia.

Golden Toad

• Scientific name: Incilius periglenes
• Last seen: 1989

The golden toad was named after the bright golden color of the male toads. This type of toad was native to Costa Rica and the last sighting occurred in 1989. There are speculations about what caused the extinction of the golden toad with possible causes including changes in climate, droughts, and exposure to a type of fungus known as the chytrid fungus.

Carolina Parakeet

• Scientific name: Conuropsis carolinensis
• Last seen: 1918

The Carolina parakeet was a colorful bird native to the United States. In 1918, the last Carolina parakeet died at the Cincinnati Zoo. Numerous threats led to the decline of the Carolina parakeet population. Factors such as the destruction of their habitats and hunting by farmers contributed to the rapid decline of these birds. The Carolina parakeet was determined to be extinct in 1939.

Western Black Rhinoceros

• Scientific name: Diceros bicornis longipes
• Last seen: 2006

The western black rhinoceros was a subspecies of the black rhino. Native to Africa, this animal species became endangered due to poaching in Africa. In the mid-1900s, preservation efforts led to the population of western black rhinos rising temporarily, but the efforts weren’t enough to save the species. There were few western black rhinoceros left by the 1980s and the last sighting was in 2006. The western black rhino was officially declared extinct in 2011.

Paradise Parrot

• Scientific name: Psephotus pulcherrimus
• Last seen: 1928

The Paradise Parrot was a bird native to Australia. This colorful bird was already considered endangered in 1900 but it completely disappeared by the early 20th century. There were many reasons why this bird went extinct, including drought in the area and the destruction of eucalyptus trees in its natural habitat. Additionally, it’s believed that colonization in the region contributed to the destruction of grasslands which also led to this bird’s extinction.

Passenger Pigeon

• Scientific name: Ectopistes migratorius
• Last seen: 1914

Passenger pigeons were native to North America and were abundant in the area at one point. The number of passenger pigeons began to dwindle in the 1800s as they were hunted and sold. By the late 1800s, the species was in danger of extinction and was officially declared extinct in 1914. The last passenger pigeon died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Xerces Blue Butterfly

• Scientific name: Glaucopsyche xerces
• Last seen: 1940s

The Xerces blue butterfly is a species of butterfly that previously lived in California. This species of butterfly was known for its bright blue wings with white spots. The extinction of the Xerces blue butterfly was directly related to human activities. The sand dunes that this butterfly species called home were destroyed due to urban development. The last reported sighting of this type of butterfly was in the early 1940s.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Brina L. Bunt/Shutterstock.com.