Ausgestorbene Tiere

Benjamin, Martha, and Lonesome George share the same fate: they were known as endlings, the last of their kind. The thylacine Benjamin died in a zoo in Tasmania in 1936. With Martha, the passenger pigeon lineage came to an end. And Lonesome George, the symbol of the Galapagos Islands, sealed the fate of the Pinta giant tortoises. Since the death of these last representatives, their species has been lost forever and irretrievably.

Using historical illustrations by outstanding painters such as John James Audubon and John Gould, this book recalls the beauty of fifty extinct animal species and shares remarkable insights into their biology and natural history, as well as anecdotes and curiosities, particularly regarding their relationship with humans. In this way, it powerfully highlights the losses the animal world has already suffered due to our destructive relationship with nature, preserves today unknown species like the great auk or quagga from being forgotten, and serves as an inspiration to prevent further species extinction.