The Last Survivors: Remembering the Extinct Species
In the annals of history, the last survivor of an extinct species holds a certain fascination. With names that almost sound human, these creatures were given monikers to commemorate their final existence on Earth. Just as a name can transform a mere word into a symbol of beauty, I find myself captivated by the power of knowing their names.
Although they have vanished from our sight, we can still endeavor to remember their names. This act of remembrance strengthens our resolve to protect the few remaining beings that may soon face extinction. Here, we pay tribute to four unique animals who carry the weight of their species’ legacies.
Martha, the Last of the Passenger Pigeons
Martha, the final surviving passenger pigeon, met her tragic end on September 1, 1914, at the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States. Regarded as a zoo celebrity, she was found lifeless on the floor of her cage. Once the most abundant bird species on Earth, passenger pigeons saw their numbers plummet due to indiscriminate hunting and habitat destruction.
An award of $1,000 was offered by the zoo to anyone who could find a surviving mate for Martha, but all attempts were in vain. Heartbreakingly, Martha was laid to rest and subsequently preserved at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
Benjamin, the Final Tasmanian Tiger
The Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, remains one of the iconic extinct animals of the past century. Benjamin, the last of his kind, was captured in the wild and spent his final days at the Hobart Zoo until his death in 1936.
Once numbering around 4,000 before the European colonization of Tasmania, the Tasmanian tigers faced rapid decline due to excessive hunting, disease, and habitat loss. Benjamin’s demise marked the end of a once vibrant species.
‘Lonely George,’ the Last Pinta Island Tortoise
On June 24, 2012, the world bid farewell to Lonely George, the last surviving Pinta Island tortoise in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. As a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise, these majestic creatures could live up to 200 years.
Discovered on Pinta Island in 1971, George became an esteemed resident of the Charles Darwin Research Center until his passing at around 100 years old. In death, George became a symbol, surpassing even the President of Ecuador, in raising awareness about the beauty and plight of the Galápagos. With his demise, a lineage of 10 million years came to an end.
Tuffy, the Last Surviving Coed Labs Tree Frog
Tuffy, the sole survivor of the Coed Labs tree frog species, met his fate on September 26, 2016, at a botanical garden. These unique amphibians, also known as rap frogs, sport a distinctive brown hue that sets them apart from common tree frogs. Tuffy derived his name from Mark Mandika’s son, who dutifully cared for him at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Originally hailing from the rainforests of Panama, Tuffy was relocated to a botanical garden in 2005, narrowly escaping a fatal fungal outbreak that decimated amphibian populations. Sadly, efforts to breed and propagate the species proved unsuccessful, as none of the tadpoles survived. When Tuffy’s female companion passed away, he remained one of only two males left on Earth. Tragically, his counterpart was euthanized in 2012 due to health complications.
Najin and Patu, the Sole Surviving Northern White Rhinos
In a world teetering on the brink of ecological disaster, Najin and Patu embody the last vestiges of the northern white rhino species. These two magnificent creatures reside in a nature reserve in Kenya, standing as the final hope for their kind. Their lineage was further decimated in 2018 with the death of Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino. As both Najin and Patu are female, natural breeding is no longer feasible. However, efforts are underway to save the species through in vitro fertilization.
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[뉴스펭귄 이수연 기자] What would the last survivor of a now extinct species look like? Some of them had names like people. It seems that the name was given at the time to protect the last object on earth at least a little. Just like the poem that just calling a name makes it a flower, it’s because I’m more interested in knowing the name.
In the end, they disappear from Earth forever, leaving only their names behind. We can no longer see them, but we can try to remember their names. That effort leads to the power to protect a being that may soon disappear. These are four of the last animals on Earth to have unique names.
Martha the Passenger Pigeon. (Photo by Wipicidia – Enno Meyer)/Penguin News
‘Martha’ Passenger Pigeon
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Martha, the last passenger pigeon on Earth, died on September 1, 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States. Martha, a celebrity at the zoo, was found dead on the floor of her cage. Passenger pigeons were once known as the most populous bird on Earth, but their numbers have declined rapidly due to indiscriminate hunting and land development.
The zoo offered a $1,000 reward to whoever arranged Martha’s ‘mate’, but failed to find another pigeon and failed to breed. Martha’s body was immediately taken to the Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, where it was stuffed.
Benjamin the Tasmanian tiger. (Image taken from Australian National Film and Sound Archive YouTube video) / News Penguin
Tasmanian Tiger ‘Benjamin’
The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, is one of the iconic extinct animals of the 20th century. The name of the last Tasmanian tiger to live on Earth was ‘Benjamin’. Benjamin was caught in the wild and lived in Hobart Zoo until his death in 1936.
Tasmanian tiger numbers ranged up to 4,000 before Tasmania became a European colony. However, after the 19th century, immigrants came in, and they were in danger of disappearing due to excessive hunting and the spread of diseases, and then they were exterminated after Benjamin.
Lonely George, a tortoise from Pinta Island, rescued from the rainforest of Panama in 2006. (Flickr photo – Mike Weston)/Penguin News
Pinta Island Tortoise ‘Lonely George’
On June 24, 2012, Lonely George, the last Pinta Island tortoise in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, died. The Pinta Island tortoise, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise, has a maximum lifespan of 200 years.
Lonely George, first discovered on Pinta Island in November 1971, was immediately transferred to the Charles Darwin Research Center on Santa Cruz Island, where he died of old age at around 100 years of age. George became more famous than the President of Ecuador, becoming a model to raise awareness of the beauty and extinction of the Galápagos. With George, who died without leaving any descendants, the 10 million year line was broken.
Labs Tree Frog Tuffy. (Wikipedia Photo – Brian Gratwicke)/Penguin News
Coed Labs ‘Tuffy’ Tree Frog
Tuffy, the last surviving Labs tree frog, died in a botanical garden on 26 September 2016. These amphibians, also known as ‘rap frogs’, are brown in colour, unlike common tree frogs. Tuffy was named after the son of Mark Mandika, who cared for Tuffy for several years at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Tuffy, who lived in the rainforests of Panama, was moved to a botanical garden in 2005 and saved his life just before a fungus that was fatal to amphibians spread. Other frogs are said to be nearly extinct.
Later, the male Tuppy gave birth to tadpoles with the female, but none survived. When the female died, only two males, including Tuffy, were left on Earth, and the other male was euthanized in 2012 due to health issues.
Patu and Najin northern white rhinos. (Official Photo BioRescue website)/Penguin News
Northern white rhinos ‘Patou’ and ‘Najin’
There are also the last cases still alive. Patu and Najin, who live in a nature reserve in Kenya, are the only two northern white rhinos left in the world. Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino, died in 2018, leaving only his daughter Najin and granddaughter Patu in the world. As both are female, further natural breeding is not possible, but a breeding program by in vitro fertilization is underway. At the age of 34, Najin has retired from the breeding program.
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