Saber-Toothed Tiger

Over 55 million years ago, one of the most fierce animals to ever walk the planet lived in South America. The Saber-Toothed tiger was an apex predator built like a bear, with the reflexes of a cat, and it had long, knife-like teeth.

Also known as a Smilodon, this adorable beast wasn’t related to the tiger despite its name. They were the most feared hunter of the time and usually targeted bison and camels. It’s unclear what caused the saber-toothed tiger to disappear over 10,000 years ago.

But most scientists believe that competition with other species, climate change, humans, and the dependence on larger animals caused this animal to go extinct.