The Man Who Fought Extinction
Remember the
New York Times Magazine story a few months back about Reinhold E. Rau, a taxidermist who spent thirty years trying to breed an extinct zebra called the quagga back into existence?
Well,
he died.
Nonetheless, Mr. Rau led a fascinating, whimsical, and individual life, and he devoted himself to trying to recreate something beautiful and lost. Had he succeeded, he would have been the
first person ever to revive an extinct species.
Given what's going on in the environment today, the world could use more characters like Reinhold Rau. He will be missed.
Above, the quagga: Only available as an illustration, because humans killed them all.
