The first animal widely recognized to have gone extinct is the dodo bird. Native to the island of Mauritius, the dodo was a flightless bird that became emblematic of human-caused extinction. It was discovered by Dutch sailors in the late 16th century, but following its discovery, the population quickly declined due to hunting and the introduction of non-native species such as rats, pigs, and monkeys, which preyed on dodo eggs and competed for food.
By the late 17th century, just over a century after its first sighting by humans, the dodo was declared extinct. Although there were other species that may have gone extinct earlier, the dodo is the first that has been extensively documented. Its extinction serves as an important reminder of the impact humans can have on the environment and biodiversity.