These 10 animals have gone extinct in the past 100 years

For centuries, the natural world flourished in balance—until humans disrupted that harmony. Our insatiable hunger for development, expansion, and consumption has come at a devastating cost to Earth’s biodiversity. Forests have been razed, oceans polluted, and habitats destroyed to serve our endless needs, often with little regard for the long-term consequences.

For decades, the damage seemed distant or invisible. But now, the toll is undeniable. Global warming is accelerating, ecosystems are collapsing, and species that once thrived are vanishing before our eyes. Many animals didn’t just lose their homes—they lost their existence entirely. Human intervention in wildlife, whether through poaching, pollution, or sheer ignorance, has driven numerous creatures to extinction.

We often mourn their loss too late, once they’re already gone, preserved only in books, museums, or memory. The following is a haunting reminder of that truth: ten animals that disappeared forever in just the last 100 years.

Bright, striking, and once abundant in the cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica, the golden toad was last seen in 1989. Its sudden disappearance has been linked to climate change, as rising temperatures and altered weather patterns—possibly triggered by El Niño—dried out its delicate habitat. Some scientists believe this shift made the species vulnerable to disease and rapid population collapse.

With fins that resembled human hands, the smooth handfish was a quirky and unique resident of the waters off Tasmania. Once common, it became the first modern marine fish to be officially declared extinct in 2020. Although researchers can’t pinpoint the exact cause, habitat destruction from scallop dredging and broader oceanic disruptions are likely to blame.Credit: iStock

The heath hen once fluttered across the eastern U.S. in huge numbers. By the late 1800s, however, it had retreated to Martha’s Vineyard, its last refuge. A combination of habitat loss, hunting, and wildfires pushed the population to the brink. The last known heath hen, affectionately nicknamed Booming Ben, disappeared in 1933.
Credit: iStock

Also known as the thylacine, this carnivorous marsupial looked like a cross between a dog and a zebra. It roamed Tasmania until competition with wild dogs, hunting by humans, and disease wiped it out. The last confirmed Tasmanian tiger died in captivity in 1936.

Credit: iStock

Once called the “Goddess of the Yangtze,” the baiji dolphin symbolized the richness of China’s largest river. Sadly, decades of overfishing, pollution, boat traffic, and habitat degradation led to its demise. The last confirmed sighting was in 2002. In 2006, a research team scoured 2,000 miles of river in a desperate attempt to find any remaining dolphins—none were found. The baiji became the first cetacean to go extinct due to human activity.(Representative Image)

Once called the “Goddess of the Yangtze,” the baiji dolphin symbolized the richness of China’s largest river. Sadly, decades of overfishing, pollution, boat traffic, and habitat degradation led to its demise. The last confirmed sighting was in 2002. In 2006, a research team scoured 2,000 miles of river in a desperate attempt to find any remaining dolphins—none were found. The baiji became the first cetacean to go extinct due to human activity.Credit: iStock

There was a time when passenger pigeons darkened American skies in flocks numbering in the billions. But industrial-scale hunting and habitat destruction decimated them in less than a century. Once the most abundant bird in North America, the last known passenger pigeon, named Martha, died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo.

This elusive leopard lived on the Zanzibar archipelago in Tanzania. For years, it was hunted aggressively under the belief it was associated with witchcraft. These cultural superstitions, coupled with a government-led extermination campaign, decimated the population. (Representative Image)

Native to the warm waters of the Caribbean, this seal species was hunted relentlessly by European colonists for its blubber and meat. Habitat loss and human interference only accelerated their decline. The last known colony was seen in 1952, and by 2008, the species was officially declared extinct. Credit: iStock

Native to the warm waters of the Caribbean, this seal species was hunted relentlessly by European colonists for its blubber and meat. Habitat loss and human interference only accelerated their decline. The last known colony was seen in 1952, and by 2008, the species was officially declared extinct.