Some of Africa's Greatest Losses Quiz

Answer: Mane

The Cape lion is thought to have originated in the region of Cape Province and is believed to have been hunted into extinction mostly by English and Dutch settlers. The last known wild Cape lion was killed in 1858. The lions were known for the dark mane which surrounded their face and covered a large portion of the animal's front half.

It even hung from their abdomen. They are thought to have had the largest mane of any subspecies of lion. These dignified animals were known to hunt buffalo, antelope, zebra, and even giraffes. Weak, injured or sick Cape lions were known to attack humans, leading to their reputation as one of the most aggressive of Africa's carnivores.

It is thought by many scholars that many of the lions in Africa today may still carry some of the DNA of this subspecies.

Answer: Hunting

The bubal hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus) was once one of the most common antelope in northern Africa. Found along the Mediterranean coast, this sturdy beast was simply hunted to extinction for their meat and for sport. The bubal hartebeest was depicted in ancient Egyptian art being used for sacrificial purposes.

This image is of the last known bubal hartebeest, which is thought to have died in a European zoo in 1923.

Answer: Sailors

These magnificent tortoises were endemic to the island of Rodrigues in the modern day Republic of Mauritius. When Europeans discovered the island it was covered in thousands of giant tortoises. This particular species was called a saddleback because the front of the carapace was upturned, allowing it to eat from higher plants than could other turtles on the island.

When Europeans discovered how delicious they were, how easy they were to carry on deck, and how little it took to keep them alive, they began to harvest thousands of turtles.

They were known to be vegetarian, eating fallen leaves, grass, fallen fruit, and seeds. Between 1500-1800 was all it took for European sailors and then European settlers to wipe out the giant turtles on the island.

Answer: Fruit

Reports written in the 17th century described the diet of the Mauritius blue pigeon to consist of fruit, nuts, and, very occasionally, mollusks. They were a forest species often found near wooded river banks. They were large pigeons with a head and breast covered in long white feathers that were somewhat barbed.

The body feathers were of a greyish-blue, and the face around the eyes was bright red. They were thought to have gone extinct around 1830 from a combination of introduced predators, habitat destruction, and hunting. Islands offer micro-ecosystems that can produce unique animals on the planet.

They also are possibly, the easiest eco-system to destroy.

Answer: Cape of Good Hope

Originally discovered by European explorers around the 16th century, the Cape warthog was endemic to modern-day South Africa. They got their name from the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape warthog, (P. aethiopicus aethiopicusis), became extinct around 1870.

Other subpopulations of warthogs were found throughout the continent, and all were interrelated, but rarely, if ever, came into contact with each other. This subspecies of warthog was known for its lack of protruding tusks.

Answer: True

At the turn of the 20th century, Africa was home to over a million rhinoceroses. They could be found all over the northern and central regions of the continent. Widespread sport hunting in the early 20th century, as well as slaughter by local farmers protecting their crops, caused populations to plummet.

As unreal as it might sound, between 1960-1995, poachers killed 98% of all species of rhinoceros found in Africa. The demand for their horns was the cause. Asian cultures wanted the horns for their supposed medical abilities.

They were thought to help everything from impotence to cancer. Unless strict measures are taken, all rhinos will be gone in just a few decades, or less.

Answer: False

The bluebuck is thought to have become extinct around the turn of the 19th century. There are four existing skins and all of them are various shades of brown. None of them appear to be blue or even gray. The four sets of horns that still exist are not blue either.

There has never been an animal known for having blue horns. It is much more likely that this horse-sized antelope died off from habitat loss. European settlers brought in their goats, sheep and cattle which quickly decimated many areas of prime grazing land in South Africa.

The bluebuck appears to have been pushed out of its home and never recovered. They were not hunted for food as their meat was not popular.

Answer: From a few skins and skulls

Our information about the red gazelle comes from studying three museum specimens that were bought in northern Africa in the late 19th century. These specimens consist of the skins and skulls of this extinct species. Given the name Eudorcas rufina, scholars admit that know very little about this animal. And because of extinction, it is doubtful that they will ever learn much more.

Answer: Mediterranean coast of North Africa

The Atlas bear is a subspecies of brown bear that is thought to be Africa's only native bear. It derived its name from its home in the Atlas Mountains which run along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. This bear had an auburn-colored fur which was slightly lighter on its abdomen.

These grand animals were simply hunted to death for fun aka sport. For centuries, after the Roman Empire expanded into northern Africa, this bear was captured and used in the executions of criminals. The last known specimens were killed by hunters in the 1870s.

Answer: Quagga

When Europeans began to explore and then settle in regions of Africa, they considered the quagga to be the female of the striped equine known today as a zebra. They hunted them for their meat and their skin. This light tan equine had stripes only on its head, neck, and shoulders.

It also had very pale-colored legs. The quagga lived in desert regions of the continent until they were extinct in the wild. The quagga became extinct before it was realized it was a distinct species.