Extinction is not just exclusive to the old days of dinosaur history. We are still seeing consistent numbers of beautiful animal species disappearing off of the face of the earth for the rest of our lives. Climate change, poaching, and human selfishness could be the cause of this. It has to be said we are still not looking after our animals the way we should be, or at least not enough of us
Here is a small list of 5 of the world’s creatures that the next generation will never see:
Northern White Rhino
Perhaps the one we’ve heard the most about, the last male Northern White Rhino died last year at the age of 45.
While he leaves behind two female rhinos it is unlikely, even with the efforts of science, that they will be able to survive and keep their species going. Rhinos are constantly under threat of poaching, and of exploitation for materials. We’ve seen the pictures and we’ve read the news. It’s still happening. It plays a large part in all of this
Spix’s Macaw
If you remember the 2011 cartoon Rio, you’ll recognize the Spix’s Macaw. The bright, vibrant blue bird has now been declared extinct. Native to Brazil, these stunning parrots can, sadly, no longer be found there anymore
The Po’ouli
It saddens me to not only tell you all that The Po’ouli has now become extinct but also to admit that I had never heard of it. The small Hawaiian bird was also known as a black-faced honeycreeper and looked absolutely adorable. Unfortunately, it is now too late to learn of its beauty and far too late to learn of the threat of extinction that followed it.
Alagoas Foliage-Gleaner
Another Brazilian bird, the Alagoas Foliage-Gleaner has not been seen since 2011 and is now considered extinct. Birds like the Foliage Gleaner lose their chance at survival as the human race continues to play its part in the deforestation of their homes. We can only hope that we will get better and that the Alagoas will defy our guesses and return to the world.
Cryptic Treehunter
Cryptic Treehunter Illustration © HBW
Much like its previous Brazillian feathered friend, the Cryptic Treehunter, having not been seen in the wildlife for many years has now been declared extinct, adding to yet another growing list of extinct and endangered birds
We are a great race of people as humans, but we’re distracted, naive, often prone to self-aggrandizement. We think because there are so many of us and because we are evolved, we speak, we have jobs, we believe we are above any other species on the earth. And then we watch the newest David Attenborough documentary and cry at the deaths, and nod our heads when he pleads to us that we take climate change, poaching, and deforestation seriously, but how many of us actually listen?
As we are always saying, how many more before we take this seriously
Featured image via commons wikimedia by Jeff Keeton
