20 Animal Species from History That Went Extinct Because of Humans

The dodo lived on Mauritius for thousands of years, completely unaware of any threat to its existence before the arrival of sailors. Once humans reached the island, hunting, habitat destruction, and the introduction of animals such as pigs, cats, and rats placed enormous and immediate pressure on this bird. Its ground-nesting habits made it particularly vulnerable, making its recovery nearly impossible. 

Migratory pigeons once filled the North American sky in staggering numbers, forming flocks so vast that they could darken the sky. This abundance led people to believe that the species was never in danger of extinction—a belief that turned out to be a mistake with disastrous consequences. Commercial hunting and habitat destruction reduced the population of this bird from several billion to zero, and the last known passenger pigeon died in 1914. 

The Steller’s sea cow was a gigantic, clumsy marine mammal that lived in the cold waters near the Commander Islands. Europeans first described it in the 1740s, and within just a few decades, hunters had wiped it out for its meat, blubber, and skin. Its docile nature and limited range made it tragically easy to exploit.

The great auk was a flightless seabird that lived in the North Atlantic, and this inability to fly made it extremely vulnerable. Sailors and hunters killed it for its meat, oil, and feathers, as well as to make museum specimens. As the bird became rarer, collectors coveted it all the more. The last known pair was killed in Iceland in the 1840s.

The thylacine, often called the “Tasmanian tiger,” looked like a striped dog but was actually a marsupial predator. European settlers accused it of killing livestock, and bounty programs encouraged the public to hunt it down. Habitat destruction and disease may have exacerbated the situation, but it was primarily human persecution that led to its decline. The last known thylacine died in captivity in 1936.

The quagga was a cousin of the zebra native to southern Africa, whose stripes were found mainly on the front part of its body. European settlers hunted it relentlessly for its meat and hide, and to reduce competition with livestock. By the time it was realized that the quagga was on the verge of extinction, the wild population had already disappeared. The last known quagga died in a zoo in Amsterdam in 1883.

The Carolina parakeet was once the only parrot native to the eastern United States. While farmers considered it a crop pest, hunters prized its colorful feathers. Its social behavior may have exacerbated the situation, as the birds often returned to the bodies of their fallen flockmates, thus becoming easy prey. The last known specimen died in captivity in 1918.

The sea mink lived along the rocky coasts of northeastern North America. Fur traders hunted it relentlessly because of the value of its fur, and the species went extinct before scientists could study it properly. Its story is all the more frustrating because humans drove it to extinction without having documented it very well. By the end of the 19th century, it had already gone extinct.

The Falkland Islands wolf was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands. It had no natural fear of humans, which made it easy for the settlers to hunt. Considered a threat to sheep, it was also hunted for its fur. By 1876, this curious island predator had disappeared. 

Moas were giant, flightless birds that lived in New Zealand; some species were even larger than humans. After the arrival of Polynesian settlers, hunting and the burning of their habitats led to their rapid decline. These birds had evolved without being preyed upon by land mammals; they were therefore unprepared for human pressure, and within a few centuries, the moas had become extinct.

Elephant birds were gigantic birds that dominated Madagascar’s ecosystem for millions of years before humans arrived. They laid enormous eggs, which humans collected, and they were likely victims of hunting and habitat destruction as humans reshaped the island. Their disappearance was not immediate, but human activity clearly contributed to their extinction. 

The huia was a remarkable New Zealand bird, known for its magnificent tail feathers and the unusual differences between the beaks of males and females. Its feathers became symbols of prestige, and hunting pressure intensified as European demand increased. Ultimately, it was the very elegance of this bird that led to its demise.

The New Zealand tawny owl owes its name to its eerie call, which people described as strangely similar to that of a human being. Its decline was caused by changes to its habitat and the arrival of introduced predators, such as cats, rats, and stoats. It also suffered from the dwindling numbers of its natural prey. By the early 20th century, that strange nocturnal laugh had fallen silent. 

The clothes-pin-tailed wallaby was once considered one of the kangaroo’s most graceful cousins in Australia. Settlers hunted it for sport and for its fur, while agriculture destroyed much of its habitat. Foxes and other threats associated with the introduction of non-native species made its survival even more difficult. It became extinct during the 20th century.

The bluebuck was an antelope native to South Africa, named for the gray-blue hue of its coat. European settlers hunted it relentlessly, and the expansion of livestock farming damaged the grasslands it needed. It was already rare by the time settlers began to record its presence, which made the species particularly vulnerable; by around 1800, the bluebuck had become extinct.

The aurochs was the wild ancestor of domestic cattle; it once roamed Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Hunting, habitat loss, and competition with domestic livestock reduced its population over the centuries. In the end, the last known aurochs survived in a protected forest in Poland. The last specimen died in 1627, bringing to an end the history of a gigantic animal that humans had known since prehistoric times.

The Schomburgk’s deer lived in the marshy plains of Thailand. As rice farming expanded, its habitat was drained and transformed, leaving the deer with fewer and fewer safe places to live. Hunting further decimated a population already weakened by habitat loss, and the species became extinct during the 20th century.

The Caribbean monk seal was once found throughout the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Humans hunted it for its oil, meat, and skin, and fishing pressure subsequently reduced its food supply. Because it was docile and easy to approach, hunters had no trouble killing large numbers of them. It was officially declared extinct in the 21st century, although it had likely been gone for several decades by then.

The Rocky Mountain locust once formed swarms so enormous that they were beyond comprehension. Unlike many animal species that are now extinct, it was not hunted to extinction; rather, agriculture and colonization destroyed its breeding grounds in the river valleys. By the early 20th century, this insect—once famous for its swarms that filled the sky—had completely disappeared.

The western black rhinoceros was driven to extinction by relentless poaching and pressure on its habitat. Its horn was highly prized, which made the animal a target even as its population plummeted. Conservation efforts came too late to save this subspecies, which was declared extinct in 2011.