Recently Extinct

This page is for big cats when have gone extinct in recent times, listed in chronological order. Unlike the ancient species mention in the rest of the extinct cats section, these subspecies of big cat were alive within recent memory, and have been recorded, seen and photographed within the last century.  

Last confirmed sighting: 1922

The largest subspecies of lion, the Barbary lion, also known as the Atlas or Nubian lion, was the lion of the Bible. It is these lions that figure in stories such as Daniel and the Lion’s Den, as well as historical events such as the lions unleashed on victims within the roman coliseum. Images appearing from Roman and Biblical sources most likely depict Barbary rather than African lions.

The Barbary lion was the largest subspecies of lion, weighing from 500-600 lbs for males and between 300-350 for females, roughly twice the size of the African lion. They measured up to 11 feet in length, although their bodies were comparatively shorter than living lions. It was more compactly built than other lions, and had a thicker mane which extended underneath the belly, similar to the Asiatic lion, but extending further and covering through to the groin, as well as extending across the back through the shoulders and forming fetlocks on the front legs. Although a variety of man colors occur in African lions, Barbary lion manes were predominantly tawny gray mixed with blackish brown, giving it a black appearance, and the area surrounding the face was blonde. The rest of the body was darker and gray than the African lion’s, and the hair in both sexes was longer.

Barbary lions occupied mountainous areas rather than savannahs and forests throughout Northern Africa , and across the Atlas Mountains . Unlike African and Asian lions, these lions were usually solitary, coming together only in the breeding season. Their main prey was the Barbary stag and gazelle. Some were known to attack livestock, and hunting because of this is one cause of the Barbary lion’s extinction.

Despite being glorified in ancient Roman literature and inspiring the heraldry of many Arabic and European cultures, the Barbary lion was driven to extinction by over hunting. During the days of the Roman Empire , the Barbary lion became not only an evil predator, but also a popular addition to the games in the famous coliseum, for which great numbers were exported from northern Africa to the city of Rome to be killed for entertainment. Hunting did not however end there, and it was the cause of each stage of extinction of the Barbary lion. They first became extinct in Tripoli in 1700, followed by Tunisia in 1891, then Algeria in 1899. Morocco proved to be the last stand for the Barbary lion, and it was here that the last known wild individual was killed in 1922.

There are efforts to reconstruct the Barbary lion through captive lions that may have Barbary genes. I had received an e-mail regarding the lion depicted on the front page of The Lion’s Kingdom, a resident of the Detroit zoo, as well one of the other lions in my image gallery, resident of the Lansing Zoo in Michigan as possible candidates for breeding programs. There is however, doubt as to whether these would be true Barbary lions or merely those that have a similar appearance to their extinct relatives.

Sources:

The Tale of the lion that has become extinct: The Barbary lion. By Anish Chandy, 2004. Found at http://www.buzzle.com/editorials

http://www.il-st-acad-sci.org/mammals/cat1002a.html

Last confirmed sighting: 1937 

The Bali tiger is believed to be the first subspecies of tiger to go extinct. Bali tigers were smaller than other Indonesian tigers such as the extinct Javan and the living but endangered Sumatran tiger, and their coats were much darker with a great density of thin stripes. Bali tigers were restricted to the Indonesian island of Bali .

The last Bali tiger was reported as having been killed by hunters in 1937. There are no known photographs of a living Bali tiger. The only known photograph is of a dead one held up by hunters, taken in 1925.

Sources:

http://www.tigerfdn.com

http://www.5tigers.org

Last confirmed Sighting: 1961

The Caspian Tiger had the western most range of any tiger subspecies, covering parts of Afghanistan , Iran , Iraq , Turkey and western portions of Russia . It is these tigers that appear in Ottoman Empire imagery, and it is probably these tigers from which the Tigris River gets its name. In appearance, the Caspian tiger was similar to the living Siberian tiger, sporting a thick winter coat and facial fur, although the Caspian tiger’s color was more red than its Siberian relative, the stripes were more closely set together, and its facial hair included a ‘beard’, as can be seen in the image. In addition, their summer fur was shorter, and they were slightly smaller.

These tiger inhabited a unique habitat along riversides. Its habitat was covered in dense reed growths and fringed by forests of poplar and willow that then led to areas of scrub and salt resistant plants on the desert’s edge. Because of the thick reed growth in their native habitat, Caspian tigers were known to stand upon their hind legs in order to gain a better view of their surroundings. The prey of the Caspian tiger included Bukhara red deer , roe deer, goitered gazelles, and wild hogs.

As humans moved into the Caspian tiger’s territory, the tigers were pushed out. Exterminated along with wolves, leopards, and other predators considered to be a threat to new settlements; the tigers’ numbers began to decline. Farming brought artificial irrigation with it, and this activity disrupted the fragile habitat, and naturally having a devastating result on the tiger population. The last known Caspian tiger was shot in northern Iran by the local sheriff, blamed for attacks on local livestock.

Sources:

http://5tigers.org

http://www.tigerfdn.com

http://www.irangasht.com

Last confirmed sighting: 1972

Similar to other Indonesian tigers such as the extinct Bali and living but endangered Sumatran tiger, the Javan tiger was a small subspecies restricted to the small island of Java . As with the Caspian tiger, human habitation and altering of the environment caused the decline and eventual extinction of the Javan tiger. The island of Java itself is the most densely populated in the world, with an area of 132,000 kilometers supporting over 130 million people.

Field research in order to help the Javan tiger came too late. In 1970 scientists made an effort to engage in comprehensive research of the Sumatran and Javan tigers, and the Javan subspecies was already found to be in severe decline. Only two years later, the last confirmed sighting of a Javan tiger was documented.

Sources:

http://www.5tigers.org

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