5 unique animals that came back from the brink of extinction
Several species, once on the brink of extinction, are making remarkable comebacks due to dedicated conservation efforts. India's Asiatic lion population has surged to 891, while gharial numbers are now between 2,000 and 2,500. The Iberian lynx has rebounded to over 2,400, and the Arabian oryx, once extinct in the wild, now exceeds 1,000.
Living beings have been inhabiting the Earth for centuries. And each creature has been adapting and advancing according to the changes in the environment. While most of the creatures and their successors moved ahead with changing scenarios, not all of those animals were able to make it amid rising poaching numbers, habitat destruction or global warming.
But nature is often full of surprises, and some creatures still managed to come back from the brink of extinction through persistent conservation efforts, some hope, and the resilience of nature itself.
These comebacks did not happen overnight; behind each animal's return lies decades of hard work, led by scientists, governments, and local communities. Efforts like captive breeding, habitat restoration and strong legal protections, and public awareness campaigns played a necessary role in reviving public support and changing policies.
However, challenges remain, and not every species is out of danger. Here are five wild animals that made a comeback from extinction
Asiatic lion
Found only in India, the Asiatic lion once roamed much of Asia but was nearly wiped out, with just 18 individuals recorded in 1893. Thankfully, because of the strict protection and conservation efforts in Gujarat's Gir Forest, their numbers are now estimated to be 891, from the previous 674, five years ago, according to the latest census conducted in May 2025 by the Gujarat Forest Department.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting
Luxeartisanship
Buy Now
Undo
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the new figures in Gandhinagar on May 21.
He also mentioned that lions are now being found far beyond the Gir National Park, their traditional home. "The increase of 217 lions is notable, but what is equally important is their expanded presence across 11 districts in the Saurashtra region, including coastal and non-forested areas," he said.
Gharial
By the 1970s, fewer than 300 gharials remained in India's rivers, resulting in the launch of dedicated breeding and release programmes.
According to the ongoing conservation program in Kukrail Gharial Rehabilitation Centre, eggs collected from the Chambal River were reared at the centre, then released into the wild. The current official estimate of the Indian gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) population in the wild is between 2,000 and 2,500 individuals, as reported during the 50‑year celebration of gharial conservation efforts on World Crocodile Day by India's Forest Department and the Society for Conservation of Nature.
Iberian lynx
Once down to only 94 wild individuals in 2002, the Iberian lynx has made an amazing recovery. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there were 648 mature individuals by 2022. By 2023, Spain and Portugal had a total of 2,021 lynxes, and the 2024 Spain census reported 2,407 total individuals, which marked a total of a 19% increase in one year. Though now listed as "Vulnerable" by IUCN, Spain still considers the lynx legally endangered due to ongoing threats like habitat loss and roadkill.
Oryx
The Arabian oryx was declared extinct in the wild by 1972, with fewer than 20 surviving in captivity. According to IUCN, the captive breeding and reintroduction of conservation efforts in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have helped in increasing their numbers to over 1,000 in the wild today. This success marks the first time a species declared extinct in the wild has been reintroduced successfully.
Siberian tiger
By the 1940s, Siberian (Amur) tiger numbers had plummeted to just 20–30 in the wild, making them nearly extinct. Since then, strong conservation measures-- like anti-poaching efforts, habitat protection, and the 1992 'Operation Amba' campaign-- have helped in increasing their population. In Russia's Far East, recent censuses estimate around 550–600 wild tigers, while WWF reports approximately 508 Amur tigers country-wide.
Image credits: Wikimedia commons, Canva
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
India is fast becoming a global hub of agri education: Ex-ICAR Dy D-G
Dr R C Agrawal, former Deputy Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), highlighted that Indian agricultural education is becoming a global hub, with continually rising standards. He urged students to recognize the importance of agricultural education in achieving the goals of Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat. He noted that the world is now looking to Indian agricultural education and encouraged students to embrace innovation. Speaking as the chief guest at the 'Workshop on Agricultural Education and Opportunities' held at the Horticulture College in Rajendranagar, he highlighted the crucial role that agro-based start-up industries play in India's ambition to become a 5 trillion USD economic powerhouse. Dr. Agrawal also pointed out that the application of Artificial Intelligence is expected to drive a rural revolution in the future, improving farmers' income sources. He predicted that by 2029, opportunities in this sector would reach a value of 6.58 billion USD, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.8 percent. forecasted that by 2040, there will be 1.77 million job opportunities in agriculture, with an annual increase of over 8 percent. Dr Danda Rajireddy, Vice Chancellor of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University (SKLTHU), stated that universities are being equipped with the necessary infrastructure, thanks to support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the state government. He affirmed that the standards of Indian agricultural education are now competitive globally.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
1st Indian reference to Halley's Comet in Sanskrit inscription
HYDERABAD: In what is being described as a rare epigraphical discovery, the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) epigraphy division has found the first known Indian inscription referring to the appearance of Halley's Comet. It was found in a Sanskrit copper plate charter dated 1456 CE from Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, during the reign of Vijayanagara King Mallikarjuna. The inscription, engraved in Nagari script, clearly mentions a celestial phenomenon involving a comet and a subsequent meteor shower, ASI epigraphy director K Muniratnam Reddy said. It records a land grant in the form of a village made by the Vijayanagara ruler Mallikarjuna to a Vedic scholar on Saka 1378, Dhatru Ashadha ba 11, corresponding to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE. The vedic scholar, a brahman named Limganarya, was from Kadiyalapura - likely present-day Kadiyapulanka in Kadapa district - and known for his expertise in astronomy. The donation was made "in order to pacify the great calamity that is believed to arise due to the appearance of a comet (Dhumaketu mahotpata santyartham)" and its meteor shower (Prakasyaya mahotpata santyartham)," said Reddy. "From several historical records across the world, it is known that the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1456 CE was interpreted as a bad omen," said Reddy.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Paris climate target ‘will never die', remains world's ultimate goal: Researchers
BATHINDA: The world's expected passing of the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C limit during this decade raises pressure for countries to submit bold emissions reduction plans before COP30 in November, two researchers have warned. Prof Joeri Rogelj and Lavanya Rajamani, in a paper published in Science, argues that determining precisely when the world crosses 1.5°C is not necessary, because the decisions needed in response – reduce emissions rapidly in the near term – are already clear and do not suddenly change at that point. Instead, getting closer to 1.5°C should be a wake-up call for the world to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions this decade to limit the amount of warming the world experiences past 1.5°C to protect vulnerable groups, they say adding in the longer term reversing warming and getting below 1.5°C must be the goal. The paper follows the hottest year ever on record, commentary that the 1.5°C target is 'deader than a doornail' and the fact that only 21 out of 195 countries that signed the Paris Agreement have thus far submitted new five-year emissions reduction plans. Warming above 1.5°C greatly increases climate risks, including dangerous sea level rise, the collapse of coral reefs, the loss of the Greenland ice sheet and the dieback of the Amazon rainforest. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ductless Air Conditioners Are Selling Like Crazy [See Why] Keep Cool Click Here Undo Key arguments in the paper includes: Approaching or exceeding 1.5°C of warming does not extinguish the Paris Agreement's ambitious goal but makes urgent climate action even more important. The exact timing of when the world crosses 1.5°C is less important than sustained efforts to cut emissions. The Paris Agreement remains vital as a global framework to guide emissions cuts and adaptation efforts, despite geopolitical challenges. Professor Rogelj, Director of Research at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, said: '1.5°C of warming is just around the corner and it will take a herculean effort to avoid it. 'This is deeply concerning, but crossing it makes the target more important because every fraction of warming – whether it is 1.6, 2 or 3°C – creates a more dangerous world and the longer we stay above 1.5°C, the higher the losses and damages for people will be. 'The key message of our paper is that 1.5°C will never die. It will remain our ultimate goal for a safe, livable and just planet. We need to remember that reversing warming is not a new goal, but already a key aim of the Paris Agreement.' The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to keep warming 'well below 2°C' and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Small island states proposed the 1.5°C target in the late 2000s as a matter of survival – '1.5 to stay alive' – and since 2015, it has become the immediate goal in the fight to tackle climate change. However, the world is not currently on track to keeping warming below the Paris Agreement targets. Most countries are still burning large amounts of fossil fuels, which release emissions that cause the climate to warm. Global warming is expected to exceed 1.5°C before the end of the decade, near 2°C by 2050, and rise to between 2.6°C and 3.1°C over the course of the century. These projections have resulted in commentary that 1.5°C is 'dead' and calls from some researchers to determine the precise timing of when 1.5°C is crossed. Professors Rogelj and Rajamani argue that exceeding 1.5°C does not mean abandoning the goal or triggering a specific policy shift for emissions reductions or adaptation needs but working harder to limit overshoot – the amount of warming experienced above 1.5°C . Their paper emphasises the need for countries to act with the highest ambition possible to bring emissions down to zero, achieve net-negative emissions, and get warming back below 1.5°C in the long-term. They note that even in a world that has crossed 1.5°C, countries and businesses can continue to follow emission pathways aligned with the target. The Paris Agreement remains the most important international tool for tackling climate change, particularly due to its requirement that countries submit plans to cut emissions every five years, the researchers say. While the deadline has been extended until September, just 21 of 195 countries signed up to the Paris Agreement have submitted their plan, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution or NDC. NDCs with the highest possible cuts to emissions will reduce the amount of time the world spends above 1.5°C and reduce harm to human life and ecosystems, the researchers say. Professor Lavanya Rajamani, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, said: 'We want to reframe the way people talk about 1.5°C. Approaching or even surpassing it is a warning signal that states need to redouble their efforts, not to throw up their hands and declare 1.5°C 'over' or 'dead.' 'We need to stay focused on keeping warming below 1.5°C in the long term, and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change for people and the planet.' 'Our position is supported by a growing body of scientific evidence, the terms of the Paris Agreement, and the wider normative environment, including human rights obligations, that states are subject to.' Professor Rogelj, Director of Research at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, said: 'There is no such thing as a safe level of warming. 'Even below 1.5°C we see dangerous climate change. Devastating weather disasters in 2024 really made that clear – just think of the Valencia floods, Hajj heatwave and Hurricane Helene which collectively killed more than 1,500 people. 'Every tonne of carbon emitted and every fraction of a degree counts. That's why we need to see bold NDCs before the COP30 climate summit in November that deliver meaningful emissions reductions before the end of the decade. A focus on near-term reductions is key to limiting the harms that come with warming above 1.5°C.'
