The newcomers and the invasive species they imported hunted the bird while destroying its habitat. The last sighting of the dodo was in 1662. Its extinction was not immediately noticed, some considered the bird’s existence a myth.
The dodo (Raphus cucullatus), an endemic flightless bird found in Mauritius, became extinct less than a century after its discovery. This drew attention to man’s role in the extinction of entire species. Today, the dodo is often used as a symbol of extinction and aging. It has also become a fixture in pop culture thanks to Lewis Carroll’s novel, Alice in Wonderland where the bird appeared.
