12 Animals The Human Race Tragically Killed Off

9. Great Auk (Extinct 1852)

A flightless bird that spent its time in the waters of the North Atlantic - anywhere between northern Spain and Canada - the great auk (Pinguinus impennis)was not related to the modern-day penguin, even though it was sometimes referred to as one.

Even seen off the coast of Great Britain, this bird with a black-and-white belly and a hooked black beak was hunted by European explorers to the Americas for ease as a food source or as fishing bait, forcing a rapid decline in their population.

Furthermore, the feathers and down of the great auk were greatly sought-after in Europe, and all these factors eventually forced it into extinction in 1852. Efforts were made to save the bird towards the end of its time, but it was a case of too little, too late.