A thread of rare media of animals that are now extinct
1. Footage from 1933 of the last known surviving Thylacine, commonly called the Tasmanian Tiger. It died in 1936 in captivity in Tasmania. pic.twitter.com/fYj3NN9FHj
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
Some well-known extinct species, such as the dodo, have been gone for centuries, meaning that there are no photos of videos that show us what they really looked like. But there are dozens of other creatures that have disappeared over the last 150 years. Though lower in quality than what we're used to today, several of them have at least been recorded by media. While convenient, the footage, much of it in black and white, is a haunting reminder of the way humans have affected animal life and their habitats since the Industrial Revolution.
A self-proclaimed “internet history museum” known as Time Capsule Tales compiled footage of recently extinct animals in a thread on X (formerly Twitter). Some, such as the quagga, a subspecies of the common zebra, were photographed in 1870 and were extinct by 1883—some 60 years after the invention of photography in 1822. The tarpan, a free-ranging horse subspecies of the Eurasian steppe, met a similar fate. Its only surviving photograph was taken in 1884, 25 years before the last individual died in captivity in 1909.
In addition to still images, Time Capsule Tales has included some restored clips of species that are no longer around. The Layson rail, a flightless bird native to Hawai'i that went extinct in the 1940s, is seen prancing around what looks like a rocky beach. And a pair of heath hens, extinct in 1932, can be seen having a “booming” match in a silent film by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation.
The most heartbreaking, however, are those whose likenesses were recorded in high quality color images. Such is the case of the Western Black Rhinoceros who went extinct in 2011. And just a year later, the Pinta Island tortoise known as Lonesome George, the last of his species, died in 2012.
As harrowing as the compilation is, it's not only a valuable resource to learn about animals that are no longer in existence, but also a warning. Animals that are endangered today could only exist in photographs and videos if we don't protect them and the ecosystems they call home now. We can't change the past, but we can always do something about the future.
Time Capsule Tales compiled the last remaining footage of some of the animals that have gone extinct in the last 150 years.
3. The only existing photo of a Quagga, taken in 1870 at the London Zoo. Quaggas were hunted to extinction by 1883 pic.twitter.com/NcVf6SMpVn
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
5. The last photo of a Barbary Lion, taken in 1924. The last recorded Barbary lion was shot in Morocco in 1942. pic.twitter.com/xO1rHIOU3M
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
While convenient, the footage, much of it in black and white, is a haunting reminder of the way humans have affected animal life and their habitats.
7. The only Tarpan ever photographed, taken in 1884. They were declared extinct in 1909 pic.twitter.com/OijcFNsBra
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
9. Footage from the 1920s of Heath Hens, a large North American bird that became extinct in 1932 pic.twitter.com/Yaa1zUNQfA
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
As harrowing as the compilation is, it's not only a valuable resource to learn about animals that are no longer in existence, but also a warning.
11. Lonesome George, the final Pinta Island Tortoise, was the last of his species & died in 2012 at the age of 102 pic.twitter.com/YDTHgADDGM
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
13. The Western Black Rhinoceros, extinct in 2011 pic.twitter.com/RjacMvlI9S
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
Animals that are endangered right now could soon only exist in photographs and videos, if we don't protect them and the ecosystems they call home today.
15. The Caspian Tiger, extinct by 1970 pic.twitter.com/0IBLS47MkN
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
16. The Caribbean Monk Seal, last seen in 1952 & declared extinct in 2008 pic.twitter.com/ioIWgF8YWC
— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) August 18, 2024
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