Another species that has shown a good recovery, although a long way to go - NZ Cobble Skinks New species discovered behind a pub – then saved from extinction
Not heard of this species before (Big Bend Gambusia Gambusia gaigei), but descended from only 3 individuals! Endangered Species | News | Bulletin |
some others I didn't see mentioned addax hirola Seychelles giant tortoise Arnold's giant tortoise pahrump killifish relict leopard frog Ozark Hellbender Puerto Rican Crested toad Kihansi spray toad Armagosa vole Armagosa toad Burying beatle
Really? Still critically endangered, I doubt highly that the word "saved" can be used with this species... and no zoos in the world keep a captive breeding program for this species. I suppose that you're referring to the "american burying beetle", Nicrophorus americanus, that is the species famous for being both endangered and subject to captive breeding programs - to the point that is the only species that even received a common name. There are 68 different species of burying beetles (genus Nicrophorus), and almost all of them are not endangered, so a precision about the species is needed here.
Yes I meant the American burying beetle Nicrophorus Americanus. The parameters of the thread do not necessarily include zoos. The fenced reserve at Ishaqbini and the translocation to more western Kenya have both been very successful as well as restoration over a million acres of its range and the continuing placement of rangers. Though the numbers of hirola are low I think this has been a successful saving through conservation.
Thanks very much! Please note I made an arbitrary 'line in the sand' for this list at a lowest population of 500 individuals (both wild + captive). Not easy to verify for some spp. Some thoughts on those you listed: Addax - definitely saved successfully through conservation methods, but the population almost certainly never dropped below a total of 500 individuals. Could add Scimitar horned oryx to same boat. Hirola - I have to agree with Kakapo that this antelope has been steadily decreasing and cannot be considered a success story. Given how well ungulates respond to captive breeding/habitat protection there should be no reason for this spp to die out. Just has the misfortune of living in the Horn of Africa... Both Mascarene giant tortoises - there is not enough acceptance (in my mind) that these are not just odd variants of Aldabrans. Pahrump poolfish (using the preferred name) - definitely a candidate for the list. Had not heard of this spp before! Relict leopard frog, Ozark hellbender, American burying beetle + Amargosa toad - lowest population for all 4 spp are well above the 500 mark. Definitely good conservation stories in progress. Kihansi spray toad - thought I had already added this spp. Definite addition to the list. Puerto Rican toad - a bit of uncertainity with this toad as I have been unable to determine what the lowest point of total population. Was down to 80-100 wild individuals in 2002-3, but I don't know numbers in captivity. Chances are they should be on my list. Amargosa vole - cannot see that there has been any significant conservation leading to an increase in population. If it did then a starting population of 67 would definitely put it on the list. Happy to be corrected on any faults.
Another one: Perdido Key beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis). Down to less than 40 during 90s, up to 500 now. The other beach mice subspp aren't looking crash-hot at the moment.
I would say that the the Asian Lion is a candidate for this list. It went down to 40 (wild) individuals, but now is at 500+ and growing.
well the relict leopard frog was once thought to be extinct. granted once it became officially unextinctified there were over 500 of them. Oh and thought of a few more red wolf (course some don't consider it a species) siamese crocodile black soft shelled turtle (still early but looking much more promising)
Leopard frog - Yes I agree the problem with assessing the frog is that it was probably never as endangered as was once thought. I have noticed this for a number of obscure species. Red wolf - I have real problems with how to consider the red wolf. Alot of conservation effort has been funneled into an animal, which in all probability, is a hybrid species. For that reason I have not considered that red wolves should be on the list. Siamese crocodiles - while there has been some reintroduction programs, the reality is the species was alot more numerous than the 500 limit due to the number in croc farms. Unfortunately it is difficult to assess how pure the population in farms are/were due to the crossing with salties. Black softshell - yes a definite conservation success. Regular hatchings from a low pop of 408 in 2004. West African giraffe - also a definite yes. Didn't realise that the conservation work had been so successful, or that the population had dipped so low. Less than a 100 in 1991.
Owens pupfish Natural History Magazine Interesting quote from the bloke who saved the fish in 2 buckets!: “Please don’t let me stumble. If I drop these buckets we won’t have another chance!” I distinctly remember being scared to death. I had walked perhaps fifty yards when I realized that I literally held within my hands the existence of an entire vertebrate species. If I had tripped over a piece of barbed wire or stepped into a rodent burrow, the Owens pupfish would now be extinct! But good fortune smiled upon us, and the recovery continues today. A grand total of ~ 200 fish in 2 buckets!
How it was "saved"? I was unaware of any increase in population... looks like still in the edge of extintion
There have been some encouraging signs but the collapse (and subsequent rebound) of the Mauritanian population still keeps them in a very tenuous position. https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/17802
This article says that they've been updated from 'Critically Endangered' to 'Endangered' - so surely that means that they are further from extinction than they were before? There's still obviously work to be done though. Mediterranean monk seal - Wikipedia
