Steller's Sea Cow

In the cold water around islands off the coast of Siberia in Russia, there once lived a giant animal bigger and heavier than an African elephant. It looked rather like a huge seal. The skin on its big body was black and thick and tough,like the bark of a tree. This harmless creature lived in shallow water and spent most of its time eating seaweed. the sailors who first saw it called it a Steller's sea cow in 1741. Less than thirty years
after they were discovered, the hunters had killed tham all.(from childcraft vol4)