Formosan Clouded Leopard and Saudi Gazelle

Formosan Clouded Leopard

Taiwan
1200 - April 2013

The Formosan Clouded Leopard is the most resent animal to go officially extinct. After 13 years of looking for the animal it has finely been confirmed to be extinct. Little is known about the Formosan Clouded Leopard but the most obvious feature is the tail length. The tail was about half the length of its body which is short for the clouded leopard species. It is unknown why the tail was so short compared to its living relitvies.

DNA tests have been done on the stuffed specimens in the National Taiwan Museum that showed that Formosan Clouded Leopard was genetically identical to the mainland species but this is open to debate because the specimens all have long tails. Some think that the specimens are fake and that they are of the mainland species and not the real Formosan Clouded Leopard.

The Formosan Clouded Leopard went extinct because of deforestation, and relentless hunting for its fur.

Saudi Gazelle
Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
12,700,000 - 2008

The Saudi Gazelle is a rarely known extinct animal due to the fact that it was thought to be a subspecies of the Dorcas gazelle, so it was virtually ignored by conservationists. But resent DNA tests from hides and closer observation reveled that it was its own species that was now to late to protect. Little is known about this animal. It is not even known what predators it may have had.

When reviewing the "captive" Saudi Gazelles from zoos and private owners to see if a breeding program could take place, it was found that all of them were ether from a different species or were hybrids. No pure Saudi Gazelles have been found since 1980. The Saudi gazelle were herd animals like their relatives but were often found alone or with a herd with up to 20 members.