So, you know how manatees are just the coolest? Well, we could have had a bigger, cuddlier version of these gentle giants if humans had just been able to place nicely for a change. But, no. The Steller's Sea Cow was a close relation to the manatee and dugong, but was reported to grow up to 30 feet long and weigh up to 10 tons. This would make them one of the largest mammals ever to exist, just pulling up second behind the blue whale. Despite having cruised peacefully around the oceans for thousands of years previous to their discovery, the Steller's Sea Cow was completely wiped out within 27 years of its discovery by Europeans, hunted for its hide and blubber. Granted, it is thought that a decline in their main food source, delicious kelp, could have reduced their numbers by the time the white people found them, but rather than this spurring a conservation effort on our part, we just decided that it was probably best to finish them off.
