Extinct!! (Part II)

This is the second part of the series that chronicles animals that are extinct or have been on the verge of extinction and the reasons behind it.

AFRICAN WILD DOG (Lycaon pictus)
When a pack of African Wild Dog chases prey on the huge Serengeti Plain, the dogs can attain a top speed of over 65km/hr. These dogs have the ability to chase prey for close to an hour. These animals are considered to be one of the most accomplished hunters in all of Africa. They are so confident of their speed and stamina that they do not use any cover while approaching prey. Prey includes warthogs, zebras, impalas, calves and antelopes. It has been said that a pack of wild dogs have the ability to take on predators such as the African lion if the need arises.

Apart from their predatory prowess they are also known for their pro-social behavior. They live in packs numbering close to 45 at times. Fights almost never take place. The very young, old and injured members of the pack are accorded with special treatment. Usually a couple of females give birth to the young and they are taken care of by the males in turns. The animals are a mixture of black, yellow and white patterns. They weigh 17-36 kg.

But the unfortunate aspect for these proud hunters is that their numbers are dwindling. Many decades ago it wasn't uncommon to find a pack with more than 100 members. Today such a sight would be impossible to witness. The reason for the fallen numbers is a combination of factors. The one common element in these factors is the ubiquitous human presence. As a result of various infrastructure development initiatives in Africa, there has been a huge amount of unplanned land clearance and destruction of forests. This has caused the prey of the wild dog to disappear. The dogs themselves are regarded as a nuisance and they have been poisoned, shot at and traps have been laid. But the thing that is really killing the dogs and killing them fast is the increased interaction with domestic dogs. This exposed the pack to a host of diseases, which exterminate the carrier swiftly. Today the population lies at somewhere between 4000-6000, but since the dogs reside in packs it would not take too much effort to wipe out the entire population.

THE WHITE RHINOCEROS (Ceratotherium simum) - (northern)
The white rhinoceros did not get its name due to its color. The name is derived from the word "wyt" or "weit" which refers to the rhino's broad square muzzle. The rhino itself is gray in color. The rhino used to roam all over the north-central African plains are today found only in the Garamba National Park. It can weight up to a massive 2700 kg and has two horns.

Along with the Vietnamese Javan Rhino and the Cameroon Black Rhino, the Northern White Rhino are the most endangered of the rhino species in the world today. On the contrary the Southern white rhino flourishes and its numbers are constantly increasing. The Northern white rhino finds itself in dire straits because of loss of habitat and incessant poaching by humans due to the perception that its horn has aphrodisiacal properties. Another problem that conservationists of the rhino face is that they do not breed in captivity easily. Only around 30 individual rhinos survive today.

PERE DAVID'S DEER
The story behind Pere David's deer is unique. These species were thought to be extinct for more than a thousand years. But they were re-discovered by the French missionary Father David in the 1800s. At that point in time they were found only in eastern China. But their re-discovery meant that some of them were shipped to Europe. This was a significant move. The deer that remained in China died out due to constant floods and the hunting that took place during the Boxer Rebellion.

The deer that went to Europe successfully reproduced and they were introduced in China in the 1980s'. Today they survive and thrive in marshy areas.