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Extinction is often discussed with a focus on preventing it. Around the world, numerous national and global organizations provide legal protection to species teetering on the edge of extinction. Many scientists also warn that human actions may be leading us into an era of mass extinction.
Yet, certain species pose such a significant threat to humans and other creatures that the world might be better off without them. While the idea of 'intentional extinction' remains controversial, some scientists argue that the potential benefits of eliminating certain species outweigh the costs.
Here are 10 animals that experts and governments around the world are actively working to remove from existence.
10. Mosquitoes
If you've ever dreamed of a world free from these tiny bloodsuckers, you're not alone. However, mosquitoes are more than just an irritating nuisance. They are also responsible for transmitting deadly diseases like malaria, a blood parasite that affects up to 216 million people annually, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
The main carrier of malaria is a mosquito species called Anopheles gambiae. For over 30 years, some researchers have been exploring the idea that eradicating mosquitoes could be the key to eliminating the disease. But it wasn't until recently that a feasible method emerged.
With the advent of new gene-editing technologies in recent years, a research team from Oxford University has genetically engineered a strain of A. gambiae mosquitoes to carry a dominant gene that gradually renders the female mosquitoes infertile.
The idea is that if these genetically altered mosquitoes were released into the wild, they would mate with the natural population, leading to generations of mosquitoes that cannot reproduce. Over time, the infertility gene could spread, eventually eradicating A. gambiae across entire continents and potentially driving the species to extinction globally.
However, the thought of deliberately causing a species to go extinct may leave you feeling uneasy, and rightly so. One reason is that removing a species from the ecosystem could lead to unforeseen consequences.
For example, predators that once relied on this species for food may face starvation. Additionally, many experts have raised concerns about the insufficient testing of gene-splicing technology, arguing that releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment would have irreversible effects.
9. Guinea Worm
This parasitic worm lives up to its terrifying name, Dracunculus medinensis, by causing an excruciating and horrific disease. The worm's larvae are introduced into their human hosts through contaminated drinking water from lakes, rivers, or ponds.
After entering the digestive system, male and female larvae pass through the intestinal lining and mate. The male dies shortly afterward, while the female makes her way to the skin, often in the lower leg. Coiled under the skin, she can grow up to 76 centimeters (30 inches) long.
Approximately a year after entering the host, the female worm forms a painful and itchy blister on the skin, through which she emerges slowly, inch by excruciating inch, over the span of several days or even weeks. The intense pain from the worm's emergence often compels the infected person to immerse the wound in water, where the female releases thousands of eggs, continuing the cycle of infection.
In the 1980s, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an initiative to eradicate the Guinea worm. They have come remarkably close to success, with only 30 reported cases of infection in 2017. Efforts to eliminate the disease include treating ongoing infections, distributing water filters to at-risk communities, and educating the public about the importance of avoiding untreated water.
While human infections are on the decline, the worm was recently discovered infecting dogs. As a result, the complete eradication of this painful parasite may still be out of reach.
8. Wuchereria bancrofti
These parasitic roundworms are transmitted by mosquitoes and can grow up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length. As adults, they live within the ducts of the lymphatic system of human hosts.
The blockages these worms create in the host’s lymphatic system can lead to the debilitating and gruesomely disfiguring disease known as elephantiasis, characterized by severe swelling in the lower legs, breasts, or testicles. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 120 million people are affected globally.
One particular species, Wuchereria bancrofti, is the leading cause of elephantiasis, and it is exclusively known to infect humans. The WHO has been working since 1997 to eradicate this disease in humans, which would lead to the complete extinction of this worm species.
The WHO’s efforts to eliminate W. bancrofti focus on treating entire populations, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, with annual doses of deworming medication. Their efforts have been largely successful; of the 73 countries affected by worm infections, 40 are on track to achieve complete eradication.
7. New World Screwworm
The New World screwworm is actually the larvae of a species of fly, which probably doesn’t make you feel any more sympathy for this flesh-eating parasite. The life cycle begins when a female fly lays eggs in or near an open wound on a human or other warm-blooded host. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the flesh of the host, causing open sores.
Screw worms were once widespread in the tropical and subtropical areas of North and South America. However, in 1972, a joint effort between the United States and Mexico successfully eradicated the pest within their borders.
They accomplished this through a method known as sterile insect technique, where male flies were sterilized using radiation in a laboratory. The sterile males were then released into the wild, where they mated with females, but the eggs failed to hatch, leading to a rapid population decline.
The United States still operates a laboratory at the Colombia-Panama border, where sterile males are released to prevent the species from advancing northward. However, the New World screwworm may not be entirely defeated yet. In 2016, an outbreak was detected in deer populations in the Florida Keys.
6. Pubic Lice
While there is no organized effort to eradicate this insect, signs of its decline in recent years suggest that pubic lice (commonly known as “crabs“) are unlikely to be considered a protected species. These tiny parasites are closely related to head lice, living solely on human hosts. The key difference is that pubic lice prefer the coarser hair found in the axillary (armpit) and pubic areas.
Pubic lice spread mainly through sexual contact and cause intense itching as they feed on blood. Humans have quietly battled these pests for centuries, but a recent development might be contributing to their eventual decline.
In the past decade, scientists have noticed a decrease in reported infestations. Some speculate that the drop may be due to the loss of their preferred habitat, as more people are opting to shave or wax their pubic hair, thus reducing the opportunities for lice to spread.
However, not everyone is convinced that pubic lice are on the verge of extinction. One possible reason for the decrease in reported infections could be the easy access people have to over-the-counter treatments, which are similar to those used for head lice.
5. Onchocerca volvulus
This parasitic worm is transmitted through the bite of black flies living near rivers and streams in regions of Africa, parts of Latin America, and Yemen. Infection with Onchocerca volvulus can lead to severe itching and corneal scarring, which, if left untreated, can result in permanent blindness. According to the WHO, this disease, known as river blindness, is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.
For the past twenty years, the Carter Center has been collaborating with local governments in affected regions around the world to eradicate the parasite. The primary tool in the battle against river blindness is a drug called ivermectin, which can kill the worms inside their human hosts and prevent the disease from spreading.
The efforts have seen great success in South America, where river blindness is nearly eradicated. However, Africa still accounts for 99 percent of all reported cases. The WHO estimates that 18 million people are still affected globally.
4. Hookworms
Hookworms can enter the human body through ingestion of unwashed vegetables containing microscopic eggs or when children play in contaminated dirt and then put their hands in their mouths. However, the most common mode of infection is through the skin of the feet. When people walk barefoot on infected soil, the worms burrow into the skin and travel into the bloodstream.
Although this parasitic roundworm is now mostly found in tropical regions, it was once widespread in the southern United States before large-scale eradication efforts nearly eliminated it in the early 20th century. Yet, the worm—and its symptoms of anemia and severe diarrhea—remains prevalent in impoverished areas around the world.
The parasite spreads to new hosts through soil contaminated with feces, which means improving access to basic sanitation and sewage systems is crucial to eliminating this species. Additionally, deworming medications that are readily available can effectively kill the worms and halt their spread.
3. Homo sapiens
Yes, you read that correctly. Us. Some believe the human species is so harmful that the Earth would be better off without us. One such person is Les Knight, the spokesperson for the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT).
According to VHEMT, humanity is doomed in any case, so we should phase ourselves out now to reduce the number of species we take down with us. However, their approach is neither violent nor coercive. VHEMT only asks that its members choose not to have children.
There is an uncomfortable, yet undeniable, logic to VHEMT’s proposition. If humans simply allowed ourselves to die out, numerous other species would likely be spared from extinction, and we would no longer have to worry about the animals on this list. We wouldn’t be around to be troubled by them.
That idea seems challenging to promote, especially since the global population is currently around 7.5 billion people. It appears that all species, humans included, have one thing in common—they're reluctant to face their own extinction.
2. Bedbugs
As their name suggests, bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed on blood and prefer to hide in bedding and blankets, waiting for their human hosts to fall asleep. They’ve been living alongside us for thousands of years. Though they became rare in developed countries by the mid-19th century, they seem to be making a return.
In recent years, urban areas across the US and Canada have seen outbreaks that spread quickly and are difficult to contain, let alone eradicate. Bedbugs are tough survivors—they can go for months without feeding, hiding in walls or under floorboards to avoid detection. To make matters worse, some bedbugs are developing resistance to the pesticides that once effectively eliminated them.
Although local governments in the US are launching public health campaigns to combat bedbug infestations, it seems they might be here to stay for a while. One of the few guaranteed ways to kill them is by heating the infested area above 50 degrees Celsius (122 °F), but that’s not practical for many households.
1. Tsetse Flies
The bite of this small fly carries the blood parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness, an illness that causes fever, confusion, physical weakness, and, if left untreated, often leads to death. However, the consequences of African sleeping sickness extend beyond the infected humans. Domestic animals like pigs, cows, and donkeys are also at risk of being bitten and infected, which makes farming in tsetse fly–infested regions incredibly challenging.
Because tsetse flies significantly impact livestock in sub-Saharan Africa, the UN considers them a major factor contributing to poverty on the continent. If these flies were eliminated, farmers could utilize more of their land, much of which is currently left unused.
Efforts to control the tsetse fly, such as pesticide use, trapping, and culling wild animals that the flies feed on, have been ongoing for decades with little success. The most promising technique for wiping out tsetse flies across entire regions, however, is the sterile insect technique, which involves releasing radiation-sterilized male flies into wild populations to prevent reproduction.
