Questions:
1. This leopard species was first described in 1862. Within the next 120 years, it went extinct in its home range in Taiwan. An extensive 15-year survey from 1997 to 2012 also failed to find any individuals. Name the species.
2. Until at least 2008, this tiger species was believed to have gone extinct in the 1950s. The species was described as being the smallest tiger on the Sunda Islands. After a 2017 reform in taxonomy, this species was brought under Panthera tigris sondaica, which includes the extant Sumatran tiger. Name this tiger.
3. This species of deer was endemic to Thailand and resembled the barasingha. It was described in 1863. The deer’s population dwindled after Thailand intensified rice cultivation, and was last recorded in 1938. Name the species.
4. This species of aquatic mammal went extinct in the 1970s. Until 2003, it was thought to be a subspecies of the California sea lion, but has since been classified as a separate species. It was driven to extinction by over-hunting and possibly submarine warfare during World War II. Name it.
5. This equine species was also called the hemippe. It was rendered extinct by 1927 by overhunting as well as by the consequences of World War I. It was the smallest equine species and couldn’t be domesticated. Name it.
Visual:
Name the species of ox memorialised in this statue in Cambodia. It’s also the national animal of Cambodia and classified as possibly extinct. CHRISTIAN PIRKL (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Answers:
1. Formosan clouded leopard
2. Bali tiger
3. Schomburgk’s deer
4. Japanese sea lion
5. Syrian wild ass
Visual: Kouprey
