MOA This reconstruction of an extinct South Island giant moa is on display in a New Zealand museum. At one time over 20 species of this large, flightless bird inhabited the wilds of New Zealand. Already rare by the time Europeans arrived in the 18th century, moas became extinct within the next 100 years.
QUAGGA Quaggas were a type of zebra native to southern Africa. Relatives of the extant plains zebras, quaggas had white legs with brown bodies and creamy white stripes on the head, neck, and back. Plentiful in the late 1600s, quaggas were hunted to near extinction by the late 17th century. The last surviving quagga died in captivity in 1883.
PASSENGER PIGEON Once abundant in North America, the passenger pigeon became extinct in 1914 as a result of extensive hunting and loss of habitat. This specimen is from a museum in Saskatchewan, Canada.
TARPAN Now extinct, the tarpan was a wild horse that roamed in herds in European forests and on the plains of Russia. Tarpans were extensively hunted in the 1800s because of their destructiveness to agricultural crops.
BLUE WHALE The blue whale, the largest animal ever to exist, may grow to 30 m (100 ft) in length. The loud moans of blue whales may carry through deep waters to distances more than 160 km (100 mi) away, allowing them to communicate across vast areas of water. Hunted nearly to extinction in the first half of the 20th century, blue whales are now protected, although they remain endangered