Categories: Photographs: Collections Conservation Of The Environment Conservation Of Wildlife & Habitats Endangered Species & Extinction Of Species Global Warming Wildlife: General Interest


Lost Animals : Extinction and the Photographic Record
3.91 (226 ratings by Goodreads)
Paperback English
By (author) Errol Fuller


Caught on camera prior to their demise, this book reveals the surprisingly rich photographic record of now-extinct animals.

A photograph of an animal long-gone evokes a feeling of loss more than a painting ever can. Often tinted sepia or black-and-white, these images were mainly taken in zoos or wildlife parks, and in a handful of cases featured the last known individual of the species. There are some familiar examples, such as Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, or the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, recently fledged and perching happily on the hat of one of the biologists that had just ringed it. But for every Martha there are a number of less familiar extinct birds and mammals that were caught on camera.

The photographic record of extinction is the focus of this remarkable book, written by the worlds leading authority on vanished animals, Errol Fuller. Lost Animals features photographs dating from around 1870 to as recently as 2004, the year that saw the demise of the Hawaiian Poouli. From a mother Thylacine and her pups to now-extinct birds such as the Heath Hen and Carolina Parakeet, Fuller tells the tale of each animal, why it became extinct, and discusses the circumstances surrounding the photography itself, in a book rich with unique images.

The photographs themselves are poignant and compelling. They provide a tangible link to animals that have now vanished forever, in a book that brings the past to life while delivering a warning for the future.


Product details

Format Paperback | 256 pages
Dimensions 189 x 246 x 19mm | 798g
Publication date 02 Sep 2021
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint Bloomsbury Wildlife
Publication City/Country London, United Kingdom
Language English
Illustrations note Hundreds of black and white photographs; some colour
ISBN10 147299146X
ISBN13 9781472991461
Bestsellers rank 872,969