Is the Pyrenean ibex extinct?

The Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) was a subspecies of the Iberian wild goat that went extinct in 2000.

Once found throughout the French, Spanish and Andorran Pyrenees, the population was severely thinned by hunting.

In 2009, scientists were able to clone a female Pyrenean ibex using DNA from preserved skin samples. Due to lung defects, the ibex died shortly after birth, according to The Telegraph.

More Info: www.huffingtonpost.com

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41 Comments

Pamela Boyer

Can not believe in this day and age any animal could go away for good. Aren't we smarter than that.... yet?

Sean Philips

Don Bergemann, Our planet is now in the midst of its sixth mass extinction of plants and animals — the sixth wave of extinctions in the past half-billion years. We're currently experiencing the worst spate of species die-offs since the loss of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, it occurs at a natural “background” rate of about one to five species per year. Scientists estimate we're now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the background rate, with literally dozens going extinct every day. Unlike past mass extinctions, caused by events like asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is almost entirely caused by us — humans. In fact, 99 percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and global warming. Because the rate of change in our biosphere is increasing, and because every species' extinction potentially leads to the extinction of others bound to that species in a complex ecological web, numbers of extinctions are likely to snowball in the coming decades as ecosystems unravel.

Gery Tillmanns

Don Bergemann, you’re in denial.

cgrhm

when hunters kill off all non-human species, what will be left for them to hunt?

Patty K

Pamela Boyer, the hunting of the Pyrenean Ibex was finally banned in 1913, but poaching, deforestation and loss of habitat were all problems. Then there is nature; the last Ibex died because a tree fell on it and killed it.

Patty K

It is the only species that was brought back to life and the only species to go extinct twice

mainjim

RIP to such a majestic creature.

Paula Woodley

No it's not i saw some on a wildlife prog which was only film this year.

lmoores

Bloody hunters won't be happy until they have killed every species on earth 😡.

Glynis Rix

Very sad! Didn't know that

Chris Brown

A great shame. Extinction is forever. So many beautiful animals are now no longer part of Earth's fragile ecosystem. An (untitled poem of mine.: 4 September 1985 For their own sake, And ours, let them survive. In river and lake And the wide rolling ocean, On lowland and high mountain They roam free - But perhaps not forever!; Did you ever have a notion That they rely on you for their survival? But, for them, there is no revival, Extinction is forever!

Pat Wells

Pamela Boyer, Greed at the expense of animals always seems to win.

Pat Wells

Sad :( Hopefully, a successful cloaning will take place in the near future.

marilynroman

Will humans ever learn? Sigh!

skrueger

Karin Johansson, a clone was born on July 3, 2003, which was created from DNA collected from the last surviving one that was taken about 10 months before she died in 2000. The clone died about 7 minutes after birth from a lung defect. These cloning attempts were not published until 2009. Does this mean that this species became extinct twice?