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A mysterious fungus kills over six million bats -

A fungus called pseudogymnoascus destructans is known to cause white-nose syndrome in bats. The condition affects the skin of the muzzle, wings, and ears of bats.

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A mysterious fungus kills over six million bats -

Bats with white-nose syndrome are unable to fly and feed on insects, so they die. It's estimated that over six million bats have died from it in North America since 2007.

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Hundreds of penguins wash up dead in Brazil -

In July 2010, over the course of just 10 days, about 500 dead Magellan Penguins washed up dead on the shores of São Paulo state in Brazil.

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Hundreds of penguins wash up dead in Brazil -

Autopsies revealed the animals had empty stomachs, which indicated death by starvation. The reason for the mass starvation, however, remains unknown.

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Hundreds of whales and dolphins wash up ashore in Australia -

In 2004, 115 pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins died on the beaches of King Island and Maria Island in Australia.

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Hundreds of whales and dolphins wash up ashore in Tasmania, Australia -

In 2003, 110 pilot whales and 10 bottlenose dolphins died stranded on Tasmania's shore. Then, in 2008, 150 long-finned pilot whales also washed up ashore. But there's more: in 2009, nearly 200 whales and numerous dolphins beached in Tasmania again

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Blackbirds fall out of the sky in Arkansas -

On December 31, 2010, around 2,000 red-winged blackbirds fell dead out of the sky in Arkansas.

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Blackbirds fall out of the sky in Arkansas -

This happened at 11 pm, and, strangely enough, these birds don't normally fly at night. It's believed that it was a weather-related event that caused the mass die-off.

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Blackbirds fall out of the sky in Louisiana -

Then, on January 2, 2011, a mix of about 500 red-winged blackbirds and starlings also fell dead over Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. These, however, had signs of injuries, and it is suspected that they were hit by fireworks.

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Millions of sardines wash up in California -

In March 2011, millions of dead sardines and anchovies washed up in King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach, California.

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Millions of sardines wash up in California -

It's believed the fish suffocated after being trapped and using all the oxygen in the water. How they ended up in the marina is still up for debate, but it's possible that they were trying to escape a red tide, or take shelter from predators.

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Some 60,000 antelope die in four days -

In May 2015, 60,000 saiga antelope were found dead across Kazakhstan. What killed such a high number of this endangered species remains unknown.

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Some 60,000 antelope die in four days -

This is, however, not the first time such a mass die-off happened. In 1988, around 400,000 saigas died in similar circumstances.

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Over a hundred hippos die in Uganda -

In 2004, 194 hippos and 14 buffalo died in Uganda. After months of tests, it was determined that they have perished after drinking water contaminated with anthrax.

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Six million piglets die in less than a year -

In May 2013, the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus killed six million piglets in less than a year across the US.

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Drum fish die in the Arkansas River -

In 2011, 100,000 drum fish turned up dead in the Arkansas River. Officials were unable to determine what caused the deaths, and ruled out water contamination, as other species were unaffected.

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Some 200 endangered turtles found dead -

During a short period between late 2005 and early 2006, about 200 sea turtles were found dead along several El Salvador beaches.

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Some 200 endangered turtles found dead -

It's believed that the animals fell victim to a harmful algal bloom.

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Hundreds of brown pelicans die in California -

In January 2009, hundreds of brown pelicans were found dead, and others ill, in California.

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Hundreds of brown pelicans die in California -

It's not known what caused the animals to fall ill, but it might have been a change in their eating habits, triggered by unseasonable weather patterns.

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Hundreds of sei whales die in Chile -

In June 2015, 337 sei whales washed up in Patagonia's coast in Chile. The reason why remains unknown. The event remains one of the biggest whale strandings in history.

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Billions of honey bees die -

In 2006, billions of American honey bees started disappearing.

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Billions of honey bees die -

The reason? Colony collapse disorder, which occurs when working bees disappear from a colony. This can be caused by a number of diseases.

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Thousands of common murres die in Alaska -

Common murres are found abundantly in Alaska. In January 2016, around 8,000 of these seabirds were spotted dead on a beach in Whittier.

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Thousands of common murres die in Alaska -

It is speculated that they starved to death as  warmer water surface temperatures affected the number of prey available for the birds to feed on.

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Thousands of fish die in Germany -

In August 2022, thousands of fish were found dead on the banks of the river Oder in Schwedt,  Germany. The reason remains unknown.

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Livestock freeze to death in Mongolia -

Both the summer and the winter of 2010 were particularly harsh in Mongolia. It is estimated that the lives of 1.7 million livestock were lost as a result.

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Dead starfish wash up ashore in in Alabama and Florida -

In April 2014, thousands of starfish washed ashore in Alabama and Florida. Many were found dead or dying. The reason remains unknown, but it's suspected that a storm pushed them onto the beach.

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Dead starfish wash up ashore in England -

In March 2023, dead and dying starfish also washed up on the beach at Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire, England. Again, strong storms are suspected to be the cause.

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Dead starfish wash up ashore in Germany -

And a similar mass die-off happened in 2015 at  Westerland beach on the island of Sylt, Germany.

Sources: (CBS News)

See also: The animals that have gone extinct in the 21st century

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