Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas)

The Steller’s sea cow, which measured up to 8 meters in length and could weigh as much as 10 tons, is probably the second-largest animal to have lived in historical times. Only whales are larger. These peaceful giants became extinct in 1768, just 27 years after Europeans had first discovered them during the Bering Expedition to the Commander Islands off the coast of Kamchatka. They were hunted to extinction because their meat could be eaten and their skin could be used for making leather.