25 Animal Species That We May Lose Forever

By: Ian Fortey

Image: djsudermann/Pixabay

About This Article

A study conducted in 2015 concluded that, since the year 1900, over 500 species have vanished from the Earth for good. The Bramble Cay melomys, a little mouse-like animal from Australia, was the most recent mammal to be declared extinct in 2016. Others, like the Yangtze River dolphin and Bouvier's red colobus monkey, have yet to be declared officially extinct but none have been seen in the wild for nearly 20 years. Each year, populations continue their slow decline toward nothingness, species that had existed in our world for thousands of years and soon will be gone forever. Science may have some recourse to save some, but it's unlikely. Once these animals are dead, they're dead for good. 

If people don't learn about the plight of these creatures and if they can't get educated about why it's important to save them, then perhaps there is no hope. Luckily some people do care. Conservationists are trying where and when they can to save animals from loss of habitat, from deforestation and from poachers, but it's an uphill battle. The first step is knowledge. If you want to know more about animals that are on the brink, we have 25 here you can start with. Without humanity's help, they're all destined to disappear.

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