The great auk, a flightless bird comparable to a penguin in size and appearance, was once abundant in the North Atlantic, particularly around the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, and Newfoundland. Known for their distinctive black and white plumage, they were primarily hunted by humans for their feathers, meat, and eggs. By the mid-19th century, the population had dramatically decreased due to relentless hunting pressures and habitat loss. Despite early conservation efforts, the plight of the great auk went largely unrecognized by the wider public. On a fateful day in June, two great auks were captured by fishermen on the remote island of Eldey, off the coast of Newfoundland. They were killed for mere sport and profit, marking a dark turning point in the history of avian extinction. This incident is often framed as a cautionary tale about human impact on wildlife and highlights the fragility of ecosystems once thought to be inexhaustible. The great auk's extinction became one of the first widely recognized examples of the dangers of overhunting, leading to more robust efforts to protect other at-risk species in subsequent years.