It might sound too strange how an animal declared extinct can be found alive. Do they send them down to earth again? Did some long-aged eggs get fertilized? Or was it just an illusion that these animals no longer exist? The questions are really thought-provoking and so is the story! According to the scientists, 881 total animal species have gone extinct since the period of 1500. However, there are possibilities that some of the 881 animal species were just functionally extinct, considering the DNA survival limit is perhaps 1 million years. I mean the possibilities are endless and biological evolution plays a huge role because when given a chance, life finds a way to survive. So, let’s see which long-extinct animals have started making an appearance again.

1. Bermuda Petrel

Though, these are medium-sized sea birds but oh! What a dramatic extinction history they had. Bermuda petrels were believed to be extinct for 330 years, with the last sightings in the 1620s. They had a distinctive color pattern of grayish and black tone with an 86 cm wingspan. Petrels were once very abundant at Bermuda but the arrival of European settlers in 1600 led them to extinction. Those early inhabitants cut down the forest and almost destroyed agriculture thus these sea birds were left with no suitable habitat for population growth.

On the top, they were also introduced to some more predator animals and those species preyed on petrel eggs, chicks, and adults, which ultimately reduced their numbers. But here’s a twist!!! In 1951, 18 nesting pairs were found on remote rocky islets on the castle harbor in Bermuda. Ain’t this the most dramatic entry ever? How on earth can these 330-year-long dead species be found? Were they playing hide and seek for all these years? However, several reports confirmed occasional sightings of the Bermuda petrel in Bermuda. There are only 250 species of Petrels alive that are battling extinction, making them one of the rarest seabirds in the world.

2. Woolly Mammoth

Next up, we have the Woolly Mammoth. These giants and elephants had a very good time on Earth and lived during the Pleistocene epoch for 4,000 freaking years. I mean how did an elephant that had this long time in the world come into existence again? After these 4000 years, these elephants went extinct. They were gone, nowhere to be seen, and with no future offspring, the Mammoth was declared extinct. These elephants had a very distinctive appearance during their times. They had long, curved tusks reaching up to 4 meters in length. Mammoths also had a very muscular and prehensile trunk that used to help them in feeding.

Moreover, their bulky body was fully covered with a thick coat of fur that helped insulate them from the cold. This fur even had an outer layer of long guard hairs and a shorter dense undercoat. However, how these bulky elephants went extinct is itself a very enchanting story. More than 10,000 years ago, the last ice age brought significant climate changes that ultimately led to the shrinkage of the mammoth’s cold steppe habitat. The grasslands and tundra disappeared and this reduction in habitat resulted in less food resources that directly affect their population.

But, we have a plot twist!!! The Woolly Mammoth's appearance was reported from remote areas in Siberia and Alaska. Though, we don’t have any valid evidence but the sighting suggests that a small population of these elephants might still exist. Paleontologists even found quite well-preserved carcasses of Mammoths from Siberia and Alaska these remains create the impression that mammoths are relatively recent and might still exist. Now God knows what’s the truth actually! But won’t it be great to have another bulky elephant on our animal list?

3. Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

This cute little birdie was the largest woodpecker in the world with a very distinctive appearance. They had a 21-inch glossy black body with white markings with very visible white patches running down their back and wings. These birdies were worldwide last observed during the 19th-20th century in the virgin forest of the Southeastern United States and it’s said that habitat destruction was the main reason for their extinction. The virgin forests of the United States had extensive logging during the 20th century which not only destroyed their habitat but also reduced the population of Beetle Larvae insects the woodpeckers fed on. On top of that, the humans were so wild! They are legit used to overhunt these birds for their beautiful appearance to collect them in private museums which gradually resulted in a decline in their population. However, some say Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers were functionally extinct.

There have been numerous reports and sightings of them in remote areas of the southeastern United States and Cuba. Not only this but some people found bark scaling on trees that resembles ivory-billed woodpecker foraging behavior. Thus, there might be a possibility that these woodpeckers still exist but just are out of sight. Let’s see how long they can play hide and seek with us!!!

4. La Palma Giant Lizard

Now we have these intoxicated beautiful La Palma Giant lizards with a 75cm long body that’s very big for a lizard. They have dark brown to black lighter with lighter spots or stripes along the back and sides. Their belly is lighter in color with a creamy greyish tone. The La Palma lizards are supposed to have been extinct for like 500 years ago. But in 2007, their extinction was declared skeptical. Because a population of La Palma Giant Lizards was rediscovered in the Barranco de las Angustias area of La Palma that suggests they weren’t completely extinct and got relocated to some isolated remote areas in the island. Though these lizards aren’t found very often but scientists upgraded their status from extinct to critically endangered but on the contrary, some say their sightings are certainly not enough to update their living status.

5. Takahe

Takahe - these flightless birds have a very intriguing story. They are native to New Zealand and have a very remarkable history of near extinction to critically endangered situations. It might sound funny but these blue Takahes were considered extinct after their last four specimens were taken in 1988 but when given a chance, life survives! These birds had the same motive. They were rediscovered through a planned search effort in 1948 near Lake Anau after being extinct for nearly 50 years in the remote Murchison Mountains of Fiordland, New Zealand by Dr. Geoffrey Orbell. These birdies also have a very striking appearance. They have plumage with bright blue feathers on the head, neck, and upper body, and olive green on the wings and back. A beautiful contrast though!!! They were once considered extinct due to habitat destruction, predation, and hunting but conservation efforts helped in restoring their habitat. Today, these odd-looking birds have only 225 individuals alive.

6. Cuban Solenodon

A rat or an insect or something else? These Cuban Solenodon is very rare and only 37 specimens have ever been caught. How on earth does this Cuban have no offspring? Why they were only 37, isn’t this number well-considered to form a population? That’s very strange though! They were first discovered in 1861, and no individuals were found from 1890 to 1974. However, in 1974, these Cubans were discovered in the remote forests of eastern Cuba. On the contrary, this species has something very strange. They have venomous saliva that is considered rare in mammals. Additional sightings and captures in the 1990s and 2000s confirmed that the species still existed but in very low numbers. The reason could be that Cuban Solenodon mostly resides in remote, mountainous, and forested areas that are difficult for humans to access. Another reason for their low population could be that Cuban females have a very low reproductive rate, they typically give birth to one or two offspring per year. This slow reproduction makes it difficult for the population to recover from declines.

7. Chacoan Peccary

What a name they had! Just like their name, their existence was also very rare. The Peccrays measure about about 90 to 100 cm in length with a weight of 30-40 kg. They have a coarse, bristly coat that is generally grayish-brown, with a white stripe running from the shoulder to the neck with an elongated and flexible snout that’s adapted for rooting through the soil or food. This animal resembles a pig but hails from a different continent and cannot be domesticated. It wasn’t observed alive but in 1930, some fossils were found that suggested the scientists these animals are now extinct. But no! They were waiting for the dramatic entry into the history of animal specimens. In 1975, surprise researchers discovered one of their specimens alive in the Chaco region of Paraguay. And now it’s said that there are almost 3000 individuals of Chacoan Peccary alive, found also in southern Brazil and Bolivia. Modern sciences have made several contributions to restoring their habitat. These animals now live in hot, dry areas with thorny bushes and low-lying succulents, that are quite inaccessible to humans.

8. Coelacanth

Be it under the sun or under the ocean, extinctions of animals are everywhere. This fish has the very same history! It’s a prehistoric fish once believed to have been extinct for 65 million years until its surprising rediscovery in the 20th century. Don’t you think it’s too much of an extinction symphony? I mean where did they go for millions of years? How can one remain hidden for a million years? This is definitely way too thought-provoking!!! But only in 1938, things changed! The biological evolution is really crazy because this Coelacanth was miraculously discovered off the east coast of South Africa near the mouth of the Chalumna River. Then some more populations of Coelacanth was rediscovered were and later found near the Comoros Islands, Indonesia, and the Indian Ocean. These frequent observations confirmed that Coelacanth, after their rediscovery, they’re not a one-off survivor but had extant populations in various remote and deep-sea habitats.

These fishes were popular due to their physical appearance as well. They have lobed pectoral and pelvic fins that are not very common among the fishes giving them a distinctive, almost limb-like appearance. Also, their bodies are covered in thick cosmid scales with a rough bumpy structure. The most thought-provoking part is these fishes can live for 100 years and swim at depths of 90 to 100 meters.

9. New Holland Mouse

These mice also have an interesting extinction story! It was initially discovered in 1843 and sparked curiosity among scientists but what a game twister! They totally vanished from view for more than a century before their rediscovery in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park north of Sydney in 1967. How did these animals disappear for this long? Do they have some kind of superpowers for extinction? This is very mind-boggling! However, after years of extinction, they started rediscovering in various parts of southeastern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania.

These cute little creatures are still looking for their proper habitat for inbreeding. They’re not very big in appearance but are just 65-90 mm long. Their fur is soft and gray on the upper parts and has a creamy undertone in their underparts. Research suggests that the New Holland Mouse typically went extinct due to the severe destruction in their habitat. They live in heathland woodlands and coastal scrub but these areas went through intense urban development, logging, and agriculture development which resulted in the loss of their habitat. However, this issue has been addressed now. Several conservation efforts have been made to stabilize their population and also new observations are helping them relocate to remote locations to get better access to resources.

All these extinct animals for sure had very enticing stories. It’s still a mystery how these animals went extinct for legit million years and came back like nothing happened. Science is definitely making waves! Hopefully, the research can indicate what all this extinction fuss is about. Is it some kind of evolution or what???

So, with that - let’s end the video here! Don’t forget to comment down below!

Extinct Animals that are still alive today