Extinction is a natural part of any species’ timeline on Earth. The nature of evolution is that the species with the most valuable advantages is usually the species most likely to survive. That means, of course, that many species fail to thrive and naturally go extinct. Some animals have gone extinct due to deforestation.
But there have been five mass extinction events on Earth, and some scientists believe we’re currently in the middle of the sixth. One recent study concluded that three-quarters of the animal species living on Earth could be extinct in the next 300 years.
The most tragic part is that this event is entirely human-caused. From habitat destruction in the form of deforestation to the introduction of invasive predators and diseases, humans are the biggest threat to any animal species. But that means we also have the power to save them.
Defining “Extinction”
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines a species as extinct when the last member of a species has undoubtedly died. On the surface, extinction seems like a relatively simple determination. Either a species exists or it doesn’t, right?
It’s a much more complicated and nebulous concept than you might believe initially. Proving beyond a reasonable doubt that there are no living members of a species in the wild requires exhaustive surveys repeated multiple times over several years at least.
Even then, declaring that no living member is left is nearly impossible. Even if an entire species were isolated on an island of fewer than 100 square miles (as some species are), thoroughly combing the area would take years, during which time animals could migrate.
It takes years and sometimes even decades before scientists can confidently say that every species member has died in the wild. The issue is complicated even further because a species extinct in the wild may continue to exist in captivity.
As you’ll see, the Spix’s Macaw has been entirely extinct in the wild for years. However, in captivity, the species thrives as an exotic household pet. Other species may continue to exist and even reproduce in conservation zoos long after their wild relatives have gone extinct.
Until the IUCN can say with certainty that a species has ceased to exist in captivity, in the wild, or both, they may classify it as Critically Endangered. They may also say that a species is Possibly Extinct, a tentative subclassification that falls under Critically Endangered.
Researchers may continue to classify a species as Critically Endangered even after the last member has died. In September 2021, the United States declared 23 species extinct, including the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, which was last seen 80 years ago.
The last member of that species almost certainly died decades ago, yet it was only recently classified as extinct. This is just one of many known species last seen years ago that have yet to be declared extinct. There are almost certainly more examples than we know.
Even if a species still has a few thousand members left in the wild, that doesn’t guarantee its survival. There must be enough members of a species within a specific geographic range to reproduce faster than predators, and other threats can cause them to die.
In some cases, groups of animals are so widely spread out that they don’t encounter each other enough to reproduce. In others, the outside threats to the species are so overwhelming that their extinction is inevitable.
Finally, as you’ll see, captive conservation programs can bring species back from extinction. These programs attempt to reintroduce a species into the wild, but when faced with the same threats that caused their extinction in the first place, the animals often die.
For that reason, this list of extinct animals includes species that are definitely extinct, probably extinct, nearly extinct, and inevitably on their way to extinction because the official label isn’t as important as the fact that an entire species is or will soon be lost.
See Related: Animals That Have Become Extinct in the Last 100 Years
13 Animal Species That Are Extinct (or Nearly Extinct) Due to Deforestation
These thirteen animal species are either already extinct or threatened to the point where their extinction is assured. For some, conservation efforts tried but failed to save them. Others were so nearly extinct when they were discovered that they were already beyond saving.
This range of scenarios demonstrates the complexity of declaring a species extinct. It also highlights the importance of conservation efforts to prevent the ripple effect that leads to a species’ complete decimation.
Each species has one thing in common: humans are the primary threat to their existence. Whether development has destroyed their habitat or the trees have been taken as commodities, deforestation is a human problem.
The good news is that plenty of species are still in existence, and we can learn from our mistakes. With the latest scientific advancements and those to come, we can reduce the human impact on the animals around us.
1. Formosan Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyura)
Despite its name, the Formosan clouded leopard is a distant relative of other leopards. Large cats like the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard belong to the Panthera genus, while clouded leopards belong to the Neofelis genus.
The Neofelis genus is further subdivided into two species of clouded leopard.
The mainland clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, is found on the Asian mainland, while the Sunda clouded leopard, Neofelis diardi, is found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The Formosan Clouded Leopard is a subspecies of the Mainland Clouded Leopard only found in Taiwan.
Deforestation due to logging degraded its habitat, forcing it into the mountains. The last official sighting of the Formosan Clouded Leopard was in 1983, though that photo may actually have been of Neofelis diardi in Borneo.
An exhaustive survey from 2001 to 2004 concluded that clouded leopards were absent from the region. In 2013, the Formosan clouded leopard was declared extinct. In 2019, several people reported sightings of the Formosan clouded leopard, but those have not been confirmed.
To complicate things further, scientists are discussing possibly reintroducing clouded leopards to Taiwan. The confusing status of the Formosan clouded leopard is a perfect example of the complexities of declaring a species “extinct.” hoes is a
2. Paradise Parrot (Psephotellus pulcherrimus)
Paradise parrots are a species of parakeet native to Australia. These birds were unusually beautiful, with their tail making up nearly half of their ten-inch size. Their colorful feathers were turquoise, green, orange, and brown. Paradise parrots nested in pairs and occasionally made small family groups in hollowed-out termite mounds.
Due to a combination of land clearing, hunting, and cat predation introduced by humans, what was once a relatively common bird on the Australian mainland became rarer and rarer. By 1915, the species was believed to have been extinct. But on December 11, 1921, almost 100 years ago, Cyril Jerrard of Gayndah, Australia, spotted a mating pair of paradise parrots.
Over the next twenty years, reports of sporadic pairs of paradise parrots were spotted. Though there was quite a lot of publicity around the birds’ critical status, there were few known solutions to protect them then. Sadly, the last official sighting of one alive was in 1927, and they are certainly extinct today.
3. St. Helena Darter (Sympetrum dilatatum)
The St. Helena Darter was a dragonfly species endemic to St. Helena Island, a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between Brazil in South America and Angola in Africa. Before its extinction, it had no other known habitats.
The exact cause of the extinction of the St. Helena Darter is unknown, but it was likely a combination of factors. St. Helena Island was colonized in the late 16th century, and habitat destruction from colonization was likely a primary cause of extinction. Other invasive aquatic species were also introduced, further contributing to population loss.
The last official sighting of St. Helena Darter was in 1963, and it was declared extinct sometime after that. However, in 2011, it became apparent that there had been no comprehensive surveys of St. Helena Island since 1963, and it was reclassified as Data Deficient and later Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). It was declared extinct again in 2020.
4. Hawaiian Crow (Corvus hawaiiensis)
The Hawaiian crow was once considered relatively abundant on all Hawaiian islands, especially in western and southeastern Hawaii. It had a call that sounded a lot like a cat’s meow, along with a variety of others and was known to use sticks instinctively to extract food from holes in logs.
It played a critical role in the proliferation of the seeds of many native Hawaiian plants. The Hawaiian crow distributed and germinated the seeds as they passed through its digestive tract, and many such plants have no other means of dispersing their seeds.
The colonization of the Hawaiian islands introduced multiple threats to the Hawaiian crow. Deforestation led to habitat loss, and the lack of tree cover exposed the birds to predators from above and below. Humans illegally hunted them, believing they were a threat to crops. The last members of the species were seen in the wild in 2002.
There are approximately 115 individuals in captivity. In 2016, scientists released 30 captive Hawaiian crows into the wild, hoping the reintroduced birds would repopulate the island. Unfortunately, only five remained four years later and were returned to captivity to protect them. Scientists are currently re-evaluating the program in hopes of trying again.
5. Pygmy Raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus)
The pygmy raccoon, also known as the Cozumel raccoon, lives only on the island of Cozumel, Mexico. It is the smallest Procyon genus, weighing an average of 7.7 pounds, about half the size of its nearest mainland relative, and having yellow rings instead of black.
Though not technically yet extinct, there are believed to be only 189 adult pygmy raccoons in the wild on the entire 486-square-mile island, and that number is declining. Pygmy raccoons face many threats to their survival as a species, but the most significant threat is tourist development.
Though considered critically endangered, little is being done to protect them from non-native predators and diseases brought by invasive species. Meanwhile, as the tourism industry goes, more and more of their habitat is being destroyed, and they cannot escape the island.
Conservationists are considering several options to save the species. Preserving the mangrove forests where the pygmy raccoons live would halt the island’s tourist centers from expanding further into their habitat. Conservation zoos may also begin captive breeding programs.
See Related: Endangered vs Threatened vs Extinct
6. Kāmaʻo (Myadestes myadestinus)
The Kāmaʻo, also commonly known as the Large Kaua`i Thrush, lived only on the island from which it got its name. They were the largest of Hawaii’s native thrush species and were reddish-brown with olive-colored feathers.
In the late 1960s, there were believed to be around 350 adult Kāmaʻo on the island of Kaua`i. Sadly, humans destroyed their habitat to clear the way for farming and ranching. Deforestation combined with invasive pests and introduced predators ultimately drove them to extinction.
7. Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelli)
The Sumatran orangutan’s geographic range is limited to the mountainous forests in the northern part of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. They’re completely arboreal, living only in the trees and rarely coming to the ground, making them particularly vulnerable to deforestation.
Though their range once spread across the island, deforestation and habitat destruction have cornered the remaining Sumatran orangutans. They’re critically endangered, not yet extinct, and roughly 16,000 remained at the last survey in 2016.
Though that number sounds promising, it includes subpopulations that aren’t believed to be viable long-term. In reality, there may be only 13,000 adults remaining in the wild, and that number is on the decline.
Their primary threat is habitat loss due to deforestation. Despite conservation efforts, forest fires, land clearing, timber logging, and agricultural development drive the remaining Sumatran orangutans higher and higher into the mountains.
See Related: Sumatran Tiger
8. Kākāwahie (Paroreomyza flammea)
The Kākāwahie was once endemic to the island of Moloka’i, Hawaii, but was last seen in the wild in 1963. Sadly, not much is even known about this bird, as it was last seen commonly in 1907 and was rare by the 1930s.
The likely causes of the kākāwahie’s extinction were habitat destruction through deforestation and the introduction of diseases to which they were resistant. Surveys since 1979 have failed to locate any individuals of the species, and it was declared extinct in 1988.
The kākāwahie is a perfect example of how long it can take to declare a species extinct, even when it hasn’t been seen in decades. Despite last being seen in the 1960s, it was nearly 1990 before it was officially declared lost.
9. Darwin’s Fox (Lycalopex fulvipes)
This fox species is endemic to Chile. Though once thought to inhabit only an island off the country’s southern coast, a mainland population was discovered in a national park in 1990. The fox’s habitat consists of old-growth forests and temperate rainforests.
Known for their short legs and bushy tails, these solitary canids pair off just long enough to reproduce and raise their young. Researchers have reported several Darwin’s foxes living up to seven years old.
Though not yet wholly extinct, the destruction of their habitat had reduced the total population of Darwin’s foxes to as few as 700, decreasing that number. They were previously classified as Critically Endangered until the mainland population was discovered.
They are now classified merely as endangered. Their primary threats are deforestation due to wood and pulp plantations and hunting and trapping. They’re also heavily plagued with disease and are expected to see a population decline of 20% over the next two generations.
10. Cryptic Treehunter (Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti)
In 2014, two ornithologists discovered a new bird species in northeastern Brazil. They called it the cryptic tree hunter. Its black head, brown body, and orange tail looked similar to another known bird species, causing it to go undiscovered as an independent species.
It quickly became apparent that it was one of the rarest birds in the world, known to inhabit only two locations in Brazil. Even when it was first discovered, researchers estimated a maximum of ten breeding pairs living and likely fewer than that.
The species was classified as Critically Endangered, and ornithologists held out hope that they would find more. Sadly, the forests where they lived continued to decline due to deforestation caused by sugarcane plantations and ranching. What little forest remained was scattered and remote.
Last seen in 2007, the cryptic treehunter was declared extinct in 2019. Because of its recent discovery and limited numbers at the time of discovery, none exist in the wild. The species is almost certainly lost forever due to logging and agriculture.
See Related: These Are 13 of the Longest Living Animals on Earth
11. Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)
The rarest of the rhinoceros genus is only found in a single national park in Indonesia. They’re primarily solitary creatures that live in the lowland rainforests of Indonesia. Today, their primary threat is poaching, though their numbers first dwindled because of habitat loss due to logging.
Though the population there has mostly stabilized, it has been slow to increase despite conservation efforts. They reproduce slowly, with females giving birth only once every four to five years. Their small population size makes them particularly vulnerable to disease.
The Javan rhinoceros is not yet extinct, though its numbers are so low that it’s almost impossible to imagine the species returning. The last localized population in Vietnam went extinct in 2010, and fewer than 75 adults are living in the wild today.
See Related: Black Rhino
12. Mount Glorious Torrent Frog (Taudactylus diurnus)
This species of tree frog, native to Queensland, Australia, was first discovered in 1966 and last seen in the wild in 1979. Though it was abundant when first discovered, it declined rapidly and was soon declared Endangered and Critically Endangered species shortly after.
Many threats contributed to the amphibians‘ precipitous population collapse, from habitat loss due to logging, mining, tourism, and water management combined with water contamination to invasive species and diseases that completely wiped out the Mount Glorious torrent frog.
Although it hadn’t been seen in decades, scientists continued to try to locate members of the species until 2004, when it was finally declared extinct.
13. Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)
The Spix’s macaw was made famous in the animated film Rio, where the main character set off to Brazil looking for the last wild member of his species. However, Spix’s macaws had been lost in the wild for more than ten years when that movie was released.
These beautiful blue birds were captured and traded as pets for decades, decimating their numbers as humans destroyed their habitats for agriculture and energy production. However, many live in captivity, as pets, and in conservation programs.
Currently, a colony of captive Spix’s macaws is being prepared for release in the wild in hopes of reintroducing the species. Two conservation areas have been prepared specifically for their release, and scientists hope the program will succeed.
FAQs
How many animals go extinct due to deforestation?
Deforestation is clearing or removing forests or trees from an area. It is a major cause of habitat loss and can lead to the extinction of many animal species. While it is difficult to determine an exact number, thousands of animal species are estimated to go extinct yearly due to deforestation and other human activities.
What is the most endangered animal due to deforestation?
The most endangered animal due to deforestation is the orangutan. Orangutans are primates that live in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Deforestation has caused a significant decline in their population, with estimates suggesting that their numbers have decreased by up to 50% in the past 60 years.
What is an animal that has been affected by deforestation?
Any animal affected by deforestation is any species that has lost its natural habitat due to forest clearing. Deforestation has led to the displacement and endangerment of countless animal species, particularly those that rely on forest ecosystems for survival. Some examples of animals affected by deforestation include orangutans, jaguars, and sloths.
Can animals go extinct by deforestation?
Deforestation can cause animal extinction. Deforestation is clearing forests for other land uses, such as agriculture or urban development. When forests are destroyed, animals lose their habitat and may be unable to survive. Additionally, deforestation can disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems, which can have cascading effects on animal populations.
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