Why the lack of modern-day extinct animals?

[Koifish]

Warning: long post

So, something that I've always thought about for as long as I've bought and collected animals: where are the "recently" extinct animals?

From a very young age, I have always had a profound fascination in the animals that have been lost due to human greed and foolishness. Although it's hard to say exactly when such a fascination started, I would most likely attribute it to a trip to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, when I was about 7 years old. I was obsessed with dinosaurs then, and all other animals, of course. I knew that dinosaurs were extinct. I knew what the dodo was, and that it was also extinct. But in one of the halls of various taxidermied animals, a medium-sized carnivore that I had never seen before, caught my eye. Light-fawn in color, with several dark stripes running down the back, with a dog-like head and a kangaroo tail. Its pelt faded from age. It's plaque read "Tasmanian Wolf". The Thylacine. But when I learned that this beautiful, unusual animal was extinct, I was very saddened, but also quite fascinated. As a child, extinct animals, to me, were animals that we could only imagine what they looked like - such as dinosaurs and woolly mammoths. We only had their fossils and other scant remains, and it made them quite mysterious to me. But here I was, face-to-face with one - a real one, skin and all - looking into its empty, glass eyes.

The experience stayed with me, and I was fascinated with not just the Thylacine, but, as I would come to learn, many, many other animals who had shared the same fate. At the ages of 8 and 9, I was familiar with other species, such as the quagga, the steller's sea cow, the great auk, the bluebuck, the pink-headed and labrador ducks, the moa and elephant bird, the carolina parakeet, the aurochs, the golden toad. At a trip to a local gift store that sold many animal figures, I spotted a quagga and steller's sea cow, and gleefully brought them home (I believe they were Club Earth figures). As it turns out, they were the only such figures of these particular animals that I would ever find. Which now begs the question: Why aren't the other companies reproducing these animals? Why has it really only ever been Yowie and Club Earth (who is now defunct)?

I'm not very familiar with the various Japanese brands such as Tomy, Coloratta, Kaiyodo, etc... I'm not really aware of what they've produced and released, nor are they as readily available. I'm talking about the more widespread manufacturers, such as Safari Ltd, Schleich, Papo, Collecta, and Mojo. Mojo did release a thylacine and quagga, but the paint application on said figures left alot to be desired. Southlands made a thylacine as well. Collecta may be our one hope, as their Thylacine is perhaps the best I've seen so far (I would love to see a male). I can really see them doing an aurochs, a sea cow, and maybe a quagga. I would especially love to see a bluebuck from them as well. Even an updated dodo would be beautiful (Safari's is quite dated). But I can't for the life of me understand why Safari or Schleich have never done either of these animals. Ever. Though they both are heavily into fantasy creatures, and every horse breed imagineable (no offense at all to anyone who collects them).

Sorry for my long post, I've been wanting to ask this question for a long time 

[sirenia]

I know what you mean, there aren't a lot produced. The line with the most would be yowies forgotten friends line, which made 60 recently extinct species. I have been reviewing some on the dinotoyblog (under the name Indohyus).

Takara did a recent extinct set  called eternal lost breeds which I also reviewed on the DTB, so worth a check if interested.

[Koifish]

I know what you mean, there aren't a lot produced. The line with the most would be yowies forgotten friends line, which made 60 recently extinct species. I have been reviewing some on the dinitoyblog (under the name Indohyus).

Takara did a recent extinct set  called eternal lost breeds which I also reviewed on the DTB, so worth a check if interested.

Oh wow, I will definitely look in to those... it's really a shame too, because honestly I feel like the bigger companies can't use the excuse of "well, kids are only interested in extant animals/dinosaurs," because even when I was the "target-age", I was fascinated with them (and still am, lol).

[sirenia]

It should say dinotoyblog, not dini. My bad!

[sirenia]

Eternal lost breeds, Takara:

http://dinotoyblog.com/2020/04/20/eternal-lost-breeds-extinct-animal-takara-tomy-a-r-t-s/

Yowie Forgotten Friends examples:

http://dinotoyblog.com/2020/07/27/great-auk-forgotten-friends-series-a-by-yowie/
http://dinotoyblog.com/2020/08/24/hawaiian-o-o-forgotten-friends-series-a-by-yowie/
http://dinotoyblog.com/2021/01/13/new-zealand-grayling-forgotten-friends-series-a-by-yowie/
http://dinotoyblog.com/2020/07/20/upland-moa-forgotten-friends-series-b-by-yowie/

[suspsy]

I definitely want CollectA and Safari to make more recently extinct genera. Steller's sea cow would be marvellous.

[sirenia]

I definitely want CollectA and Safari to make more recently extinct genera. Steller's sea cow would be marvellous.

Agreed. The only decent sized one is the Likaon model, and it's pricey!

[Badger]

In general, it's because they're either part of taxonomic groups and/or from regions of the world that are generally overlooked by companies and more casual collectors/consumers.

[Halichoeres]

I wonder if part of it is that zoos are a common place to sell them, zoos probably sell more of animals that kids saw during their visit, and by definition zoos aren't going to house anything extinct.

[stargatedalek]

I think this relative lack is more coincidence than anything else. Most of the better known examples of recently extinct animals are birds and a few hoof-stock, not exactly the best represented groups in general.

The companies thoughts are probably along the lines of; "no one would want a passenger pigeon, yuck pigeons", "dodos are lame, who would buy that?", and "aren't great auks just obscure penguin ripoffs? just make a penguin".

[Gwangi]

I definitely want CollectA and Safari to make more recently extinct genera. Steller's sea cow would be marvellous.

A Steller's sea cow might be my most wanted recently extinct animal toy. A great auk would be nice too.

[JimoAi]

The Vaquitas will be part of this category too. I would like to see a Baiji in this range too

[bmathison1972]

I definitely want CollectA and Safari to make more recently extinct genera. Steller's sea cow would be marvellous.

A Steller's sea cow might be my most wanted recently extinct animal toy. A great auk would be nice too.

I second both of those, my friend!

[Sable Antelope]

I think this relative lack is more coincidence than anything else. Most of the better known examples of recently extinct animals are birds and a few hoof-stock, not exactly the best represented groups in general.

The companies thoughts are probably along the lines of; "no one would want a passenger pigeon, yuck pigeons", "dodos are lame, who would buy that?", and "aren't great auks just obscure penguin ripoffs? just make a penguin".

I think you're absolutely right. Toy companies seem to focus on lions tigers and bears (and horses).

It's fine for the companies to make toys of animals that will sell, but it would be nice for the more obscure animals get some attention. If anything toys of recently extinct animals could help the public (especially children) gain awareness of the species we lost. I will say I like how Safari and collectA does have some figures of relatively obscure extant species alongside their more familiar elephants and zebras etc.

[Sable Antelope]

The Vaquitas will be part of this category too. I would like to see a Baiji in this range too

I 'm a realist, the vaquitia is functionally extinct, but are their numbers at zero individuals already? 💔

On a lighter note a Baiji would be awesome, such a cool animal.

[Isidro]

I 'm a realist, the vaquitia is functionally extinct, but are their numbers at zero individuals already? 💔

There are 12 individuals the last time it was checked, about a month ago.

[Sable Antelope]

The Vaquitas will be part of this category too. I would like to see a Baiji in this range too

Safari has a vaquita

[BlueKrono]

I 'm a realist, the vaquitia is functionally extinct, but are their numbers at zero individuals already? 💔

There are 12 individuals the last time it was checked, about a month ago.

I found an article from Dec. 2021 that said there were 10. Is it possible they are still reproducing?

[Sable Antelope]

I 'm a realist, the vaquitia is functionally extinct, but are their numbers at zero individuals already? 💔

There are 12 individuals the last time it was checked, about a month ago.

I found an article from Dec. 2021 that said there were 10. Is it possible they are still reproducing?

Even if there are ten left and assuming they're all capable of reproduction it would still be a miracle for the species to recover considering most cetaceans only produce one calf every couple of years not to mention the genetic bottle neck of such a small gene pool. Sorry to be such a downer but the odds are against our "little cows"😞

[BlueKrono]

I 'm a realist, the vaquitia is functionally extinct, but are their numbers at zero individuals already? 💔

There are 12 individuals the last time it was checked, about a month ago.

I found an article from Dec. 2021 that said there were 10. Is it possible they are still reproducing?

Even if there are ten left and assuming they're all capable of reproduction it would still be a miracle for the species to recover considering most cetaceans only produce one calf every couple of years not to mention the genetic bottle neck of such a small gene pool. Sorry to be such a downer but the odds are against our "little cows"😞

Agreed. I would bet they're going the way of the baiji within the next ten years.