14 Animals That Were Driven to Extinction By Humans

12. Steller’s Sea Cow

Modern manatees, or sea cows, can grow to about 10 feet long and 1,300 pounds. To put that in perspective, the extinct Steller’s Sea Cow could stretch up to 30 feet long and tip the scales up to 10 metric tons. Unfortunately for Steller’s Sea Cow, it was also sweet-natured and slow moving, which made it prime pickings for the European explorers who stumbled upon the creature in 1741. By 1768, less than three decades after its discovery, Steller’s Sea Cow had been exterminated.