DODO

The dodo, which went extinct between 1680 and 1690 on Mauritius, marks the moment when humanity first realized that a species can permanently disappear due to our own actions.

When European sailors arrived on Mauritius in 1598, they encountered a bird that had no fear of humans. The dodo had no natural enemies, so it had no reason to flee. This lack of fear made it an easy prey for the people who simply killed it with clubs or even took it alive as food for long voyages.

But the real cause of its extinction runs deeper. The ships brought new animals like rats, pigs, and cats, which spread quickly and disrupted the island's fragile ecosystem. Rats and pigs ate the dodo's eggs, while other animals like macaques and deer competed for food. The deforestation and release of livestock further destroyed the dodo's habitat, and before long, the species was gone.

Around 1662, the last dodo was sighted, and shortly after, it was gone. To me, the dodo is more than just an extinct bird. It is a symbol of everything we’ve lost and a reminder of how vulnerable nature is. It represents all those other animals we have driven away or wiped out, and it reminds us of the impact of our choices. What we’ve lost, we can’t get back, but perhaps we can still prevent losing even more.