Lonesome George was the last surviving Pinta Island tortoise, native only to the Galapagos Islands. Until 2012, Pinta Island tortoises were extinct in the wild. On June 24, 2012, Lonesome George died, and the Pinta Island tortoise became entirely extinct.
Passenger pigeons, were once plentiful in North America. They went from the status of least concern to extinct within 100 years.
Spotted owls are threatened by habitat loss and increased competition from other species, such as barn owls.
African bush elephants are classified as vulnerable, with their numbers falling due to habitat loss and poaching.
Populations of black rhino declined dramatically in the 20th century at the hands of European hunters and settlers. Between 1960 and 1995, black rhino numbers dropped by a sobering 98%, to less than 2,500.