Sadly, right whales were targeted by whalers because of their gentle nature. Their name literally meant "the right whales to hunt".
Fujijo F Fujio made a sci-fic oneshot about how humanity are driven to near extinction by aliens. One day, the aliens just show up and begin to murder humans by the millions. No declaration of war, no demand, no explanation, just pure butchering. The reason? They believe the meat of "Earth monkeys" is an excellent cure for...bald spots.
