Every year, more species reach the brink of extinction and only inhabit the annals of natural history. Species that have officially disappeared forever as of 2016 include the Bramble Cay melomys, Nulllarbor dwarf bettong, Capricorn rabbit-rat, Pinta Island tortoise, western black rhinoceros, Rabb’s fringe-limbed treefrog, San Cristóbal vermilion flycatcher and Formosan clouded leopard.

These are just a handful of the animals threatened and wiped out annually. Thirteen bird species alone were confirmed as extinct in 2016, mostly due to invasive predators. More of these animals are bound to die off unless humans make a concerted effort to preserve them.

This article appears in the July 2017 issue of Natural Awakenings.