Extinct Hippopotamus Facts
There are a few species of Hippos that have become extinct over time. The most recent one is the Malagasy Hippo. It is believed that they were around until about 1,000 years ago. The overall size of them was smaller than the Hippos we are familiar with today. It is believed that they were smaller as a way of surviving in their environment.
A great deal of information among the fossil remains show that the Malagasy Hippo was a prime source of meat for early hunters in their own survival efforts. Even though it has never been confirmed, some villagers in remote areas claimed in 1976 that there were still small numbers of these Hippos alive. However, researchers were never able to find evidence of that being true.
The European Hippo is also extinct but it was once found throughout Europe as well as the British Isles. It is believed that they became extinct before they last glaciation period. It is believed that these Hippos were much larger than those we know about today.
It isn’t really known what occurred to cause the extinction of these Hippo species. Why did they die but the two species we know today were able to survive? There are many unanswered questions that have to be taken into consideration. It is believed that factors such as a lack of food and weather conditions could have contributed to it.
As experts continue to uncover more and more fossil remains out there, they are going to find other extinct species of Hippos. There is a debate in fact over some fossils that have discovered and what they really are. There are those experts that feel they are so similar to Hippos that they would be categorized as subspecies. However, others believe that there simply isn’t enough evidence yet to be certain of that. It can be interesting to explore the various theories on such a subject.
For others, the focus right now needs to be on protecting the number of Hippos we have out there right now. They worry that the numbers continue to slide in the wrong direction though. The last thing they want to see is these Hippos one day becoming extinct as well. By stepping in now and taking action though we can all help to preserve their place in the world. Hopefully, it won’t just be found among the pages of history.
The number of Pygmy Hippos is extremely low, so you will find that the focus on them right now is higher than for the Common Hippo. The fact that humans continue to want to be where these animals live is a huge problem. It doesn’t seem practical at all though that humans and Hippos are going to be able to successfully live in harmony.
Therefore humans have to determine where their limits are. However, if you think about it, they haven’t moved to a new location. Yet they are continually being invaded by people that don’t want to see them thrive. Such an attitude though can lead to more extinct Hippo species.
Should that occur though, it won’t just be the Hippos that disappear. They have a very active role in their ecosystem. Therefore, if they see a demise it will cause other animals that rely upon them to die out as well. There are specific actions in place right now by people that are interested in preventing another extinct Hippo species. Hopefully, you are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.