10 Animals Our Children Will Never See
Pyrenean ibex: Extinct in 2000
Western spanish ibex, a cousin to the extinct Pyrenean ibex. Image:
The last Pyrenean ibex was seen in northern Spain in 2000; Unfortunately, the lone female had been killed by a falling tree.
This adorable hoofed species was a subspecies of the Spanish ibex that was once widely distributed throughout France and Spain.
Scientists attribute the species’ extinction to poaching and disease, but it’s also possible that they were unable to compete with other species for limited food.
Scientists gathered samples from the deceased female in 2000 and made the first ever clone of an extinct animal in 2009. However, the animal died of lung defects immediately after birth. It is unknown whether or not the researchers will make another attempt.
