Like in other places, the sailors introduced non-native species into a closed ecosystem.

they introduced other animals, including dogs, pigs, cats, rats, and crab-eating macaques, which plundered dodo nests and competed for the limited food resources.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodo

Almost like every single other species made extinct by humanity.

At some point they should have gotten the vibe from the delicious bbq smell..

You cannot say they didn't have an awareness in their own way, ecocide is not done upon inert vessels for trauma.

They went extinct because it was an affront to the economic-spiritual beliefs of the humans that had existential power over them.

For these humans nature needed to reinforce a cosmology of good christian work ethic by presenting violent examples of the barbaric work ethic of beasts. The jungle must only reward tigers and never bonobos otherwise what has been the point of all our good christian guilt we have suffered?

Dodos died because they were an affront to both God and the lies the destitute workers were told to make them believe they were living their best life despite abundance evidence to the contrary.

Basically Dodos illuminated the nature of the chocalate factory in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory too kindly and simply.

https://biblioklept.org/2015/03/09/the-extinction-of-the-dodo-pynchons-gravitys-rainbow/