Playing with extinct animals

Recent extinct animals are a great inspirational source for designers. Josh Finkle created special wooden toys based on four lost species: the Tasmanian Tiger, the Quagga, the Pig Footed Bandicoot and the Steller's Sea Cow, chosen for their beautiful shapes and patterns. The only difference is that the miniature toys have more simplified, vertical statures and human-like proportions.

Josh Finkle, Extinct Toys

"These toys are meant to incite wonder and interest in creatures that existed only a short while ago", says Josh on his website. The packaging is just as interesting as the handcrafted toys since it becomes an informational graphic about the animal depicted.