ExtinctZoo - Extinct Animals The Ancient Egyptians Saw

Episode Date: May 13, 2024

When people think of Ancient Egypt, we often think of mummies, pyramids and hieroglyphs, in other words, the human-y things. But did you know that despite only being 2,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians also lived alongside many different animals that are no longer around? We're talking giant lions, massive cows, 2-meter birds, and more...

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You win? Details at Yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. In 2015, the University of Michigan coined the term Egyptomania, a reference to the obsession that many people have with ancient Egypt. Such an obsession is actually rather understandable, as it was a one-of-a-kind civilization that

managed to endure for over 3,000 years, making it one of the longest-lasting civilizations of all time. It's typically thought that ancient Egypt began in 3,150 BC, and ended in 30 BC, following the death of Cleopatra and the establishment of the ancient Egypt. of Roman Egypt. During its impressive existence, Egypt saw the creation of many inventions and innovations in nearly every field. But they didn't just witness man-made wonders, as the earth was a different place back then too, with nature being more pristine and wild than it is today. In fact, while the great pyramids of Egypt were under construction, woolly mammoths still roamed the earth,

or at least in a small part of it. Additionally, nearly every country was different than they are today, with Egypt in particular being quite unrecognizable, as it was cooler and wetter, especially during the early days of ancient Egypt. On top of this, the Egyptians built most of their civilization along the Nile River, which at the time was more lush and wide, partially attributable to the lack of human interference. As a result, the ancient Egyptians enjoyed, and sometimes disenjoyed, a wide range of nature that is no longer seen in those lands. This includes animals that are no longer found in Egypt, but yet are still kicking in other

areas of the world, and those that are entirely gone, unfortunately. And one such animal that is no longer around, at least in the wild, is the Barbary Lion. You may have heard of this mighty feline, but probably didn't know that it's sometimes called the Egyptian Lion, as once upon a time it was relatively widespread throughout Egypt, inhabiting deserts, mountainous areas, and the steppe bordering the Nile. lions or giants who can measure over 8 feet or 2.4 meters from head to tail, with 19th century hunters describing it as the largest kind of lion around, with wild males often weighing 660 pounds or 200 kilos, which is roughly 15% heavier than extant lions. Yet despite its massive

size, this lion wasn't technically a distinct species of feline, nor even a subspecies, rather a very specific population of Panthera Leo Leo, aka the northern lion. And a half a It had a rather complex relationship with ancient Egyptians. For one, as it didn't live directly near human settlements, commoners seldomly encountered this lion, leading to the mystical belief that they guarded the kingdom from outsiders. However, encounters did still happen once in a while, namely through attacks on farmers or cattle, though such instances didn't occur frequently enough to be considered a major threat. And so ultimately, most people never saw these lions, but yet they still understood that

they were the fiercest predators in the land, who could take down prey much larger than humans, like buffalo, wild boar, and occasionally even elephants. Opposite to the regular citizen, high society had a much closer relationship with the Barbary lion, incorporating it into religion, art, and writings. Royal specifically encountered them a lot, and often tried to emulate their power and prowess in their own rule over ancient Egypt. their time of coexistence, it wasn't uncommon for a pharaoh to keep Barbary Lions as a pet, or even trained them to guard their throne and chariot.

Sometimes they were also buried alongside these great lions, demonstrated by a fully grown male that was found in the tomb of Tutankhammed's wet nurse. Another case involved five lion cups that were part of a ritual mummification, proving that sometimes it may not be in your best interest to be revered. And this is further seen in the hunting of adult Barbary lions, as multiple All pharaohs hunted them in order to prove their own bravery, best exemplified by Amunhotep III, who killed 102 lions in 10 years. Though funnily enough, despite his hunting bravery, he only showed up in battles once.

Eventually, due to increasing aridity, desertification, and hunting, the Barbary or Egyptian lion vanished from the lands, bringing an end to this majestic feline, at least in ancient Egypt. Another extinct animal that called these lands home and had a much closer relationship with commoners was the oroc, scientifically known as boss primogenes. This was a species of cattle that is often considered the wild ancestors of cow. Although, unlike their domesticated brethren, orrocks were differentiated in the fact they were giants, weighing anywhere from three-fourths of a ton to over one and a half tons, making them more comparable to bison than cows.

and they weren't just simply bigger, since they also had different proportions in the wood has seen in living bovids, with their legs being long and slender, while their necks and torsos were more stocky and muscular. Their horns, too, were upgraded versions of those seen in domesticated cattle, being far larger in size. This all paints a picture of one mean cow,

and indeed it was, thanks to a personality that matched its menacing appearance. Orocks were well known for being less docile than modern cows, and would even regularly kill each other during mating seasons. Their aptitude for violence may also be why they were less social than other bovids, with herds typically being small and seasonal. However, ancient Egyptians didn't necessarily fear the Oroc, as they actually played an integral role in society,

usually through the meat they provided via hunting. This hunting also helped the economy, as meat and bones could be sold in markets. Furthermore, there is some evidence that Orocks were kept in small groups that could be relied upon for resources. Although, in spite of their usage, people were still aware of its tempered personality, reflected by Orox being a symbol of power and prowess within ancient Egypt. Sadly, its power and fierce temperament did not save it in the long run,

with it now being extinct throughout the entire world. That being said, the Orox did manage to outlast their ancient Egyptian acquaintances, with remains being known from Roman Egypt. But alas, they stopped the world. there, with the main belief being that loss of habitat and human hunting took it out. This spelled the end for the Orocks native to Egypt, but other subspecies did manage to survive, with one group persisting until 1627 in Poland's Yachtotov forest, where they two ultimately went extinct. Now admittedly, while a supersight's cow is interesting, it's probably not as mystical

as this next creature, the Benu Heron. As its name so perfectly suggests, this is a is an extinct species of heron that was extremely distinct from others of its kind, thanks to its record-breaking size. Fossils and Egyptian art show that adults routinely stood taller than humans, averaging about 6.6 feet or 2 meters in height, making them equal in stature to the late Kobe Bryant. And if it was alive today, the Benu Heron would be considered the tallest bird capable of flight, dethroning the current champion, the Sarus Crane. Yet, this extinct heron wasn't only gifted in the vertical reach department.

as Benu herons had crazy wingspans too. That could measure over 2.7 meters or 8.9 feet, which is 34% larger than the wingspan of an ostrich, Earth's current heaviest bird. Paleontologists believed that this heron inhabited the wetland areas of the Nile River and feasted on a mix of fish, turtles, amphibians, small mammals, snakes, and even baby sharks, thanks to its size. Its stature also seems to have left a profound impact on the ancient Egyptians,

as many think that Benu, the ancient Egyptian deity who represents sun, creation, and rebirth, was inspired by this great heron. And thus, it likely received much worship, especially in Heliopolis, an ancient city that was the cult center of Benu. Furthermore, following the trend seen in many other Egyptian animals, the Benu heron was subjected to being buried alongside mummies, specifically in this case in order to protect the deceased. Sadly, beyond its symbolic importance, not much else is known about the interactions between Benu Herons and humans. Although, it's possible that they were hunted, as overhunting is often thought to have played a role in their extinction, along with wetland degradation.

And by 1800 BC, they had disappeared from the fossil record. And the Benu Heron wasn't the only Egyptian bird to get eradicated, as another one which lived alongside it was the elusive maitum goose. Not to be confused with the medium goose, which doesn't exist. This little guy was in nearly every way a normal goose, sharing the same diet and similar habitats. Where it differed, though, was color, as maitum geese possessed unique color patterns, not seen elsewhere. But what truly makes the maitam geese remarkable is that it's the only animal ever discovered through art, and as of yet, no bones belonging to it have been found. This monumental achievement has led to the artwork in question.

being named Egypt's Mona Lisa. The 4,600-year-old piece depicts Matum geese being trapped by a clapnet, where they are then given as an offering to a royal subject, suggesting that at the very least, ancient Egyptians likely hunted them and used geese as offerings. There are some ornithologists

who believe that it may represent an artistic rendition of a red-breasted goose, but the patterns in the artwork do not match exactly, and this would be a departure from the accuracy seen in the other animals displayed in the piece. leading to the idea that it likely was a different species. Understandably, because we only have this painting, not much more is known about the maitam geese,

but its method of discovery remains quite nifty. Despite the apparent trend that every extinct animal was admired to an extent by ancient Egyptians, there was one that was not as appreciated, and this was the North African elephant. This trunked mammal was a subspecies of African bush elephant, who was much smaller than other subspecies, with fully matured adults being more comparable to Asian elephants than African ones.

Although similar to their family members, these guys did a proportionally large ears and concave backs, giving them a distinct appearance. In the early days of ancient Egypt, they could be found throughout the kingdom, within grasslands, savannas, forests, deserts, swamps, and highlands. Such a diverse list of habitats may sound impressive, yet North African elephants were never particularly common in ancient Egypt, having experienced years of population loss beforehand, which ultimately led to them not lasting long,

and by 2,900 BC, they had fully vanished from the area that makes up present-day Egypt. Their extinction may have been exacerbated by people, who, while living alongside them, despised these elephants with a passion, as they regularly consumed their crops. Moreover, while they weren't necessarily giants, there were still elephants. And so, adults were still bigger than your typical mammal, and herds would unintentionally destroy small structures and agriculture when simply moving around.

This led ancient Egyptians to forcefully drive elephants out of their natural habitats, or just outright kill them. Their precious tusks didn't help their cause either, as the Egyptians prized ivory for their use in carvings, thus leading to more killings. And there is some loose speculative evidence that once in a blue moon, they were also kept in training camps, which definitely couldn't have done their numbers any good. Following their eradication from Egypt, these poor elephants would still find themselves pestered in areas they remained, like Eritrea, as they were killed by pharaohs during hunting exhibitions, with one hunt alone claiming the lives of over 120 elephants.

They were also simultaneously used as pets, kept at zoos, and sent to war. Yep, you heard that right, the North African elephant was used for war, with the Ptolemaic dynasty in particular having extensively utilized them for battle. Naturally, being used in war didn't help their already hampered numbers. Nevertheless, they still persisted, until that is, the 4th century AD, when Roman imports of these elephants for usage in games and circus took a toll far too heavy, bringing them to their final demise. Hippos, which called ancient Egypt home too, also received rough treatment from their human

counterparts. Yet fortunately for them, the population that inhabited Egypt was made up with the same subspecies that is still seen throughout Africa today, meaning they're extinct only locally in Egypt. And like the Northern African elephant, these giants and sometimes chaotic creatures enjoy damaging crops, thus angering humans. they also took it a few steps further, by attacking boats, mauling people, killing livestock, and just in general causing havoc. Apparently, it was such a problem that even pharaohs got involved, sometimes unwillingly, as Narmor, the first pharaoh of Egypt kindly demonstrated, as in his

62nd year of rule, he was carried off and subsequently killed by a male hippo. Evidently, hippos and humans didn't get along in ancient Egypt, leading to targeted attacks on hippos. The desolation of crops by hippos was actually so bad that early pharaohs wound up spending a lot of resources on the extermination of hippos and focused on driving them out of the marshes, which they successfully did. The survivors of the onslaught took refuge away from civilization in Upper Egypt, but yet still remained targeted, with later pharaohs routinely hunting hippos in ritualistic ceremonies. Miraculously, though, in spite of ancient Egyptian's best efforts, Hippos managed to outlast them and every other animal featured on this list,

with herds actually surviving in Egypt all the way up until the early 1800s. Clearly, Egypt had a lot more nature back then compared to now. And that's not to mention the host of other locally extinct animals that I didn't have time to mention, such as giraffes, spotted hyenas, adacs, and baboons, amongst others, all of which helped make ancient Egypt one interesting place. Ambition comes in all shapes and sizes. At First Citizens Bank, we roll with your goals because we're built for what you're building. Fit for your ambition for Citizens Bank.

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