By Saurabh April 10, 2025
The dodo was a flightless bird native to Mauritius, driven to extinction by hunting and invasive species in the 1600s. With no natural predators before humans arrived, it was easy prey.
These massive, shaggy relatives of elephants roamed icy landscapes during the Ice Age. They went extinct due to climate change and overhunting, with some surviving on isolated islands until 2000 BC.
Also known as the thylacine, this striped marsupial resembled a wild dog with a pouch. It vanished in the 20th century, likely due to hunting and habitat loss.
Once numbering in the billions in North America, their flocks would darken the sky. Overhunting and habitat destruction led to their extinction by 1914.
This flightless seabird lived in the North Atlantic and was hunted for its feathers, meat, and oil. It disappeared by the mid-1800s due to relentless exploitation.
A unique zebra subspecies, the quagga had stripes only on its front half and a brown rear. It was hunted to extinction in South Africa by the late 19th century.
One of the largest deer species ever, it had antlers spanning up to 12 feet. It went extinct thousands of years ago, likely from a mix of climate change and hunting.