The last great auk died under a boot in

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]The last great auk died under a boot in June 1844.

[00:00:04]Two men climbed a rocky islet off Iceland and found a breeding pair guarding a single egg.

[00:00:10]The flightless seabird, the size of a goose, had become so rare that collectors were paying high prices for specimens.

[00:00:17]The men strangled both adults.

[00:00:20]One of them crushed the egg.

[00:00:22]No one ever saw a living great auk again.

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