Sometimes we lose faith in a species. Just because we haven’t seen an animal for decades or centuries doesn’t mean it’s extinct. There are examples of Lazarus species that have managed to escape our notice due to their small size or inaccessible habitat. Here are five recent examples of species.
Let’s start with the coelacanth, a 6-foot-long, 200-pound fish. This fish was thought to have become extinct 75 million years ago. However, in 1938, a fisherman caught this fish off the coast of South Africa and surprised everyone.
It was only after 1952 that preserved specimens were found, confirming the survival of the coelacanth. The fish remains rare and threatened, but National Geographic divers spotted the fish in 2012.
The Black-browed Babbler was last seen in 1850 and later rediscovered. Indonesian bird watchers spotted this wine-red-eyed bird in October 2020. Since it is a recent rediscovery, not much is known about it yet.
The singing dog of New Guinea is also known as the Highland Dog. It was believed to be extinct in the wild for 50 years. However, in 2018, genetic sampling of these wild dogs confirmed their existence.
After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, many species were feared extinct. Among them was the petite island mouse, previously seen only in the 1950s. However, the existence of these rodents was rediscovered after the eruption by a team from the Field Museum.
Finally, the Zanzibar leopard, thought to be extinct due to poaching, was caught on camera in black-and-white footage. Although not yet confirmed, this potential rediscovery has given researchers a glimmer of hope. Also, efforts are being made to obtain DNA evidence.