nearly EXTINCT ANIMALS ROAR BACK TO LIFE

By: Raina Shah and Hannah Sanborn

​Within the field of conservation, success stories gleam in the darkness of extinction accounts. Every success is a glimmer of hope for the biodiversity of our world, from well-known pandas, whose numbers have recovered from the edge due to unceasing conservation efforts in China, to blue whales still swimming despite human-caused risks. It is important to celebrate the comeback or improvement that many of these species have made. All of these stories demonstrate the strength of group effort and commitment in the struggle to protect Earth's priceless wildlife. 

​Pandas: In the 20th century, these famous animals suffered a significant habitat loss. In the 1970s, the panda population fell rapidly, with barely 1,000 animals remaining in the wild due to poaching's combined impacts. However, the breeding process has so far been able to prevent their extinction in connection with China's growing attempts to save an enormous amount of wooded land. As a result of these efforts, estimates currently put the total number of pandas in the wild at around 3,000.

Blue Whale: One of the few species on Earth with just one predator—humans—is the blue whale. They are just too large for other marine animals to feed on, and although it's rare, orcas have been observed attacking blue whales. The whale population has been seriously threatened by humans, mostly as a result of whaling and commercial fishing. Despite having legal protection today, blue whales are still at risk of capture, and other human-caused hazards but have come back to the waters.

Southern White Rhino: The Southern White Rhino is a species native to southern Africa. With less than 20 rhinos left in a South African reserve in 1900, they were the most threatened of the world's five rhino species. With 20,000 left, the Southern white rhinoceros is the most common rhino species worldwide. The market for legal trophy hunting of white rhinos was one of the factors that helped in the recovery of the species. Today, there are 25,000 Southern White Rhinos.

Elephant Shrew: The Somali elephant shrew was thought to be extinct after approximately 50 years had passed since the last documented sighting. Then, in August 2020, a group of scholars and experts revealed that these small, strange-looking animals were in fact living. Elephant Shrews are tiny African-native animals that feed on insects. There are 20 species of these animals but the Elephant Shrew is the most mysterious in science. Now, they are documented to be healthy and alive.

Galapagos Tortoise: The Galapagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise is a very large species of tortoise, comprising 15 subspecies. It is the largest living species of tortoise, with a long lifespan of about 170 years. Two hundred years ago, the Galapagos Islands were home to more than 200,000 giant tortoises, unfortunately, four species are extinct and only 10 percent of the original number remains today. However, improvements in nesting areas and incubation techniques over the years have made this one of the most successful conservation programs.

Blue Iguana: The blue iguana, native to the island of Grand Cayman, is sometimes referred to as the Grand Cayman ground iguana. This animal is an endangered species in the family of lizards. As a result of human disturbance, development, increased road traffic, and invasive animals, there were just around 15 left by 2002. But that all changed after a student at Cambridge University put his whole passion into the survival of these Blue Iguanas. The 1,000th blue iguana was let out into the wild in 2018, and now, the protection of their environment is a number one priority.

American Bison: The American bison, also dubbed the American buffalo, is a species of bison native to North America. It is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the European bison. In the ​​early 1800s, bison were eliminated west of the Rocky Mountains and east of the Mississippi River. During the 19th century, when European American settlement was spreading into the Great Plains, bison were killed to the brink of extinction. A major problem today is that bison have a lack of genetic diversity due to the population decrease the species experienced during its near-extinction event. However, conservation herds were established and the population is no longer endangered.

Eurasian Beaver: The European or Eurasian beaver is a species of beaver that was formerly common throughout Eurasia but was nearly extinct due to people hunting for its fur. Legal protection, hunting restrictions, and the return of some species have all contributed to the recovery of these Beavers. As an essential species, beavers dramatically improve the environments around rivers.

Spix’s Macaw: most commonly known as Blu from “Rio,” the Spix’s Macaw is a bird native to Brazil. The Spix's macaw disappeared from nature and was declared extinct in 2019, having been hunted by humans and being a victim of habitat destruction. Even though these birds were declared extinct in the wild, there were still a few left alive in captivity. Scientists raised a captive population of Spix's macaws from a few wild birds, and in 2022, 52 captive-raised birds were released into the wild, and have been doing well since.

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