Be it by accident, carelessness, or intention, humans have driven an uncountable number of species to extinction.
There was a time when Reunion giant tortoise (Cylindraspis indica) herds dominated an island in the Indian ocean. The curious and friendly behavior of these gentle giants made them easily hunted, introduced invasive species decimated any future generation, and they were met with extinction in the 1800s.
A large relative to the pigeon, the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a turkey-sized flightless bird endemic to a small island east of Madagascar. The Dodoβs fearlessness towards humans allowed for easy and heavy hunting. The first record of the Dodo was penned in 1598 and not even 65 years later - by 1662 - the species was believed to be lost.
Curious, gentle, and nearly 3x the size of a manatee, Stellerβs sea cows (Hydrodamalis gigas) were never recorded to have caused damage to the ships ruthlessly hunting them. Though populations were already in decline, the Stellerβs sea cow went extinct within 27 years of European discovery.
The Falkland Islands wolf (Dusicyon australis), like the others, was similarly curious and fearless of humans. This trusting behavior was easily exploited and used to lure the small canids to an accelerated extinction.
It is a shame how the most gentle are often the most easily exploited. The loss is unquantifiable.
