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SPECIES EXTINCTION RISK
In Cumbria, freshwater pearl mussels in the River Kent can filter up to 50 litres of water each day; their filtration can help improve river water for fish, eels and ottersIn a groundbreaking initiative, a conservation project in the UK seeks to rehabilitate the endangered freshwater pearl mussels along the Ri...
A 31,000-year-old fossil has challenged everything scientists thought about the extinct 'American cheetah' — its DNA and diet tell a surprising storyAncient DNA studies have rewritten the family tree of the "American cheetah," Miracinonyx trumani. Genetic evidence shows this extinct cat ...
In 2015, 200,000 saigas died in Kazakhstan's mass die-off. 10 years later, nearly 4 million now roam the vast steppe, turning one of the species' darkest chapters aroundKazakhstan has witnessed one of wildlife conservation’s most remarkable turnarounds. Saiga antelope numbers once collapsed by about 95% aft...
In 1914 passenger pigeon went extinct following the death of Martha in Cincinnati Zoo, over 100 years later more than 500 bird species are facing risk of extinction, finds research studyScientists found that even with complete protection from human-caused threats like habitat loss, hunting, and climate change, about 250 bir...
In 1966, scientists wiped out almost every insect on tiny islands in Florida. Within days, wildlife began returningEcologists Daniel Simberloff and Edward O. Wilson conducted a groundbreaking experiment in 1966. They removed nearly all arthropods from ti...
Manatees are visiting Texas again but fossils suggest they may have been there thousands of years ago during the Ice AgeThis summer, Texan shores welcome an unusual sight: manatees. Historical fossils reveal that these gentle giants once swam in Texas waters ...
In 1836, a pangolin from Nepal entered a London museum collection. 190 years later, scientists sequenced its preserved DNA and confirmed Manis aurita as a distinct species, giving conservationists a new tool against poachingA historic pangolin specimen from 1836 helped confirm Manis aurita as a distinct species. This discovery aids conservationists in identifyi...
In the 1990s, a predatory flatworm was released in Samoa to control giant African snails; it later drove native island snails toward extinctionBiological control efforts introduced the New Guinea flatworm to Pacific islands. This predator began hunting native land snails, pushing t...
The tamarin on Brazil’s R$20 note once had only around 200 left in the wild; Smithsonian zoologist Devra Kleiman helped build the breeding program behind its recoveryOnce on the brink of extinction, the golden lion tamarin saw its population dwindle to a mere 200 individuals. Thanks to Devra Kleiman's pi...
The parrot on America’s El Yunque quarter once had only about 13 birds left in the wild; biologists bred and released new flocks across Puerto RicoFeatured on the 2012 US quarter, the Puerto Rican parrot symbolizes a triumph over extinction. In the 1990s, a genetic analysis unveiled a ...
The bird on the Seychelles’ 25-rupee note once had only 12 survivors on one island; after another decline, conservationists helped rebuild it to around 280 across five islandsThe Seychelles magpie-robin was on the brink of extinction, with a mere twelve individuals left. In 1990, a concerted conservation effort k...
North America saved its bison from extinction. Now scientists face a new threatBison numbers have recovered after near extinction, but genetic diversity is now a concern. Fragmented herds lack natural gene exchange, po...
In 1981, only 5 black robins remained. Check how scientists used other species to save them from extinctionIn 1981-82, the Chatham Island black robin faced dire straits, with just five birds remaining. To combat this decline, wildlife officials i...
The story of Kazakhstan's lost Turan tigers: Hunted to extinction, now making a comeback after 70 yearsTigers are returning to Kazakhstan's wilderness after a 70-year absence. An adult female Amur tiger named Umit was released into the Ile-Ba...
What was so special about Wrangel and St. Paul islands, where Woolly Mammoths survived until their extinction? Scientists revealed the answer two decades agoFor years, scientists believed the last woolly mammoths disappeared because inbreeding and genetic decline made survival impossible. A land...
Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio put $200 million behind 100 endangered species across 30 countries. The list includes rare lemurs and pangolins to a ‘living fossil’ echidnaJeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio have launched a $200 million conservation project to help 100 critically endangered species across 30 coun...
In 1969, California biologist Phil Pister carried endangered Owens pupfish across hazardous terrain in two buckets; in 2024, a seventh refuge population was establishedIn a dramatic rescue in 1969, biologist Phil Pister painstakingly transported the last of the Owens pupfish through challenging landscapes ...