Skip to main content

Pyrenean Ibex

Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica
The Pyrenean Ibex is an extinct subspecies of Spanish Ibex. No one is really sure why they went extinct, though there are a number of different hypotheses floating around, including the inability to compete with livestock and other species, hunting, and disease.

The last Pyrenean Ibex died only a decade ago. Efforts were made before that to try and place individuals in captivity, or to even crossbreed them with other subspecies, but these actions failed. The last male died in 1993, and the last female, a 13 year old named Celia, died in 2000 after being crushed by a tree.

Luckily, tissue samples were collected from Celia before her death, and using those cells scientists worked to clone the Ibex back into existence. Efforts in 2003 failed, and no infants were carried to term. However, in 2009 a young Pyrenean Ibex was born, making it the first animal to become un-extinct. Unfortunately the kid died shortly after birth from a lung defect.

The short-lived success of the Pyrenean Ibex cloning program demonstrates the possibilities that exist for preserving and reviving rare and extinct species. While cloning Woolly Mammoths is still a dream, there are several agencies that are preserving samples from the world's endangered species, including the Frozen Ark Project.
IUCN Status : Extinct since 2000
Location : France and Spain
Size : Height up to 29in (75cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. pyrenaica -- Subspecies : C. p. pyrenaica
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 5, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    its sad that the last one died not long ago

    ReplyDelete
  2. LaurenNovember 5, 2011 at 9:20 AM

    Stinks even more that it was a pretty tragic death :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2015 at 9:49 AM

    yep

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2015 at 9:51 AM

    it is so sad that it had to happen.
    I am doing a report on it. :-(

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2015 at 9:52 AM

    :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a
59 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent
Post a Comment
Read more