It’s sad to consider that many more species once lived in America. This wildlife used to thrive in its native environments before the arrival of the Europeans, the Industrial Revolution, and massive population growth. The selfish and heavy-handed actions of humans have wiped many species off the face of the planet, including the following 15.
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
Cornell Lab reports that the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker was thought to have gone extinct in the middle of the 20th century, although there are reports of it being seen in 2004. However, the general consensus is that it went extinct as a result of logging and habitat destruction.
Passenger Pigeon
The Passenger Pigeon once flocked in the billions across North America, particularly the eastern U.S. So, it’s quite shocking that humans managed to cause this species to go extinct through overhunting and habitat loss. The last known individual died in captivity in 1914.
Carolina Parakeet
The Carolina Parakeet was the only native parrot species in the U.S. It was generally found in the southeastern states but was sadly driven to extinction by habitat destruction, hunting for feathers, and disease. The last confirmed sighting was in the early 20th century.
Great Auk
Flightless birds didn’t have much luck around the world in the 1800s, and the Great Auk is another example. It typically inhabited the North Atlantic, including coastal Canada and Greenland, but it went extinct in 1844 due to overhunting for its feathers, oil, and meat.
Steller’s Sea Cow
Britannica tells us that the Steller’s Sea Cow was a mighty marine mammal wiped out by European hunters in less than 30 years of its discovery in the Bering Sea. Imagine a manatee or a dugong, but a lot larger, and that’s what we could have had today.
Eastern Elk
This subspecies of elk once ranged from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast but became extinct by the middle of the 19th century because of overhunting and habitat destruction. There have since been efforts to reintroduce other elk subspecies, which have occurred in the eastern U.S.
Sea Mink
We all know about the world of mink hunting and the amount of money that’s been behind it throughout history. One of the victims of it was the Sea Mink, which became extinct in the late 19th century. We don’t even know much about it other than a few historical accounts.
Blue Pike
The blue pike was declared extinct in 1982 as a result of overfishing and habitat degradation, according to Great Lakes Now. There are similar fish being introduced in the Great Lakes region, but it’s sad to say we won’t ever see an actual blue pike again.
San Marcos Gambusia
This small fish was once highly popular in the San Marcos River of Texas but went extinct in 1983 as a result of water overuse. They were well known for live-bearing, so it’s sad to know they’re no longer around.
Tecopa Pupfish
The hot springs of the Mojave Desert in California were once home to the Tecopa Pupfish. This impressive creature was highly tolerant to extreme temperatures, but it could not survive humans’ alteration of its habitat and went extinct in 1981.
Rocky Mountain Locust
Here’s another creature that once numbered in the billions. It swarmed throughout the American Midwest and the Rocky Mountains and devastated crops as it did so, but it became extinct in the early 20th century because agricultural practices destroyed its habitat.
Dusky Seaside Sparrow
The Dusky Seaside Sparrow once inhabited marshes in Florida, but environmental changes and habitat loss caused it to become extinct. The last known individual was a male named Orange Band, who died in 1990, around three decades ago. Rest in peace to him!
Eskimo Curlew
Birds are often victims of humans, and another such example was the Eskimo Curfew. It was a migratory shorebird that bred in the Arctic tundra and wintered in South America, but the last known sightings of it were in the mid-20th century.
Pinta Island Tortoise
The Galapagos Conservatory tells the story of the last remaining Pinta Island Tortoise from the Galapagos Islands who died in 2012. Unfortunately, it was too late for humans to save the species from the effects of our habitat destruction and hunting, so they are no more.
Pyrenean Ibex
The Iberian Peninsula thrives with life, but the Pyrenean Ibex is no more. This is one of the last creatures on our list to go extinct, as the last known sighting of one was in the year 2000. We’ll never see its large, curved horns ever again!
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