NATURE’S GREATEST COMEBACKS

10 Animals That Recovered From The Brink Of Extinction

Image: Sid Balachandran

Life always seems to find a way, even against what looks like insurmountable odds. And in a world where the specter of extinction looms large for many species, these tales of resilience and recovery are truly heartwarming.

Join us to meet 10 animals that have defied the odds, bouncing back from the brink of extinction to thrive once again.

Image: Jon Sailer

The American Bison, once teetering on the edge of extinction with only a few hundred individuals remaining, has made a remarkable recovery. Through concerted conservation efforts, populations have rebounded to over 500,000 today. Bison now roam freely again across national parks and private reserves, symbolizing a fortunate success story of collaborative conservation initiatives.

Image: Kacie Long

Declared officially extinct in the wild in 1987 - with only 22 individuals left - due to a mix of habitat loss and lead poisoning from ammunition, the California Condor faced imminent extinction. Though the conditions for their long-term survival are still to be addressed, captive breeding programs and rigorous conservation measures helped raise their numbers to over 500 birds.

Image: Thomas Kelley

In the mid-twentieth century, humpback whales were hunted to the brink of extinction for their blubber, then used to make a valuable type of oil. Fearing that the species would soon disappear if the practice continued unregulated, a number of international bans on commercial whaling were imposed, and this led to a remarkable recovery. From just a few thousand individuals in the 1960s, their population has rebounded to over 135,000 today. Conservation efforts continue to focus on mitigating threats such as entanglement in fishing gear and habitat degradation.

Image: Elena Loshina

The iconic giant panda, synonymous with conservation efforts worldwide, has also experienced a dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction. Thanks to extensive captive breeding programs and habitat conservation measures, in 2016, the species was reclassified from "endangered" to "vulnerable." Despite this improvement, the species' survival continues to be threatened by habitat loss and climate change.

Image: Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex, CC BY 4.0

Once hunted for its fur, the black-footed ferret was thought to be almost extinct in the late 70s, with some surviving populations discovered in later years. A 30-year-long recovery program through captive breeding and reintroduction into its native range has helped re-establish populations across the western United States. But the cute mustelid species is not yet out of danger, and it is still considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Image: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 4.0

The fastest animal alive, reaching speeds over 200 mph, the majestic peregrine falcon was almost annihilated by widespread usage of the pesticide DDT during the 60s, becoming an endangered species over much of its native range. Since the ban on the toxic insecticide, the species has staged an impressive recovery. Their population has rebounded across North America, with successful reintroduction efforts in urban areas as well.

Image: Geraldine Dukes

The southern white rhinoceros was almost driven to extinction during the 19th century, mainly due to sport hunting and land clearing for crops and cattle. Reduced to a population of 20 to 50 animals, the species has miraculously recovered in recent years. Official conservation efforts, including anti-poaching measures and community-based conservation initiatives, have helped their population rebound to over 18,000 individuals in the wild.

Image: Josie Weiss

A species believed to have been naturally rare, the whooping crane was pushed to the cusp of extinction due to overhunting. Their estimated pre-European contact population of around 10,000 birds was reduced to just 15 individuals by the 1940s. Fortunately, intensive conservation efforts have managed to restore their population to over 800 cranes today.

Image: Josh Noseworthy, CC BY 2.0

The Mauritius kestrel, a species endemic to the forests of the island country of Mauritius, was once the world's rarest bird, with only a handful of individuals remaining. Indiscriminate use of pesticides and the introduction of invasive species like cats and mongooses pushed the Mauritius Kestrel to the very edge, reaching an incredible all-time low of only 4 individuals in 1974. Against all odds, conservation efforts managed to save the dying species, raising its population to several hundred individuals today.

Image: Alexas_Fotos

Not even the mighty Bald Eagle - an American symbol of strength and resilience - is safe from environmental damage, and during the first half of the 20th century, its population was severely reduced by a variety of factors like illegal shooting, pesticides, and habitat loss. Luckily, a number of protection efforts allowed the eagles to successfully rebound and repopulate their native ranges across the country.

ALL MYTHS HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, RIGHT?

You Won’t Believe These 10 Myths Originated In Real People

Image: Fine Photographics

While most myths are based on fiction, some are based on real-life individuals. Greek, Egyptian, and medieval figures that once were thought to be inventions have turned out to be real people thanks to archaeological findings. So, scroll down and learn more about 10 larger-than-life characters that actually existed.

Image: Juliet Furst

Paris, the handsome Trojan prince from The Iliad who abducted Helen, was in fact a real person. The city of Troy was located on the west coast of Anatolia (modern Turkey), and it might have been known as Wilusa, during the Bronze Age.

A surviving treaty from this period was signed between a man named Alaksandu (which sounds very similar to Prince Paris's second name, Alexander) probably from Wilusa/Troy, and Muwatalli II of the Hittites. Also, other historical documents hint that Alaksandu lived in and ruled Troy/Wilusa.

Image: Nathan Cima

Since we are talking about Troy, Paris wasn't the only Trojan who might've been real; his father, King Priam, might have been a legitimate Trojan ruler. In the Late Bronze Age, the Hittites ran into some trouble with an individual named Piyaramadu, who was a rebel who took over Troy/Wilusa.

Image: Babak Habibi

The phrase "rich as Croesus" is used to describe a semi-legendary monarch who was extremely wealthy. But Croesus was a real sixth-century BC ruler of Lydia (in Anatolia), who was both rich and martial, conquering many Greek towns that were located in what is now Turkey.

Image: Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa

The Roman general Cincinnatus was a military man who only reluctantly assumed power when the Romans faced a dangerous rival group called the Aequi. They called Cincinnatus to defend them who, at the time, was busy working on his tiny farm outside the city.

After defeating the enemy in just one day, Cincinnatus remained in power long enough to ensure Rome was safe. As soon as the crisis ended, he went home and started farming again. The humility and courageous character of this general inspired George Washington.

Image: Victoria Strukovskaya

According to an ancient legend, the Assyrian queen Semiramis was the daughter of a goddess. She invented the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and became a prominent ruler in her own right.

This might seem a bit far-fetched but "Semiramis" was the Greek name for a real ancient Assyrian queen, Sammu-ramat, who lived in the 9th BC. This queen was the wife of King Shamshi-Adad V and the mother of King Adad-Nirari III, but also maintained a lot of power in her own right.

Image: Julia Kadel

Imhotep was a real-life person, who served as the Egyptian pharaoh Djoser’s architect, healer, and minister. He served as the pharaoh’s right hand and even helped design his famous step pyramid. His popularity was such that, eventually, he was deified and worshiped as a real god.

Image: Giancarlo Corti

Maybe he was not the legendary king who ripped a sword out of a stone or had a powerful magician at his side, but Arthur was a genuine historical figure leading the Roman-British against the invading Anglo-Saxons during the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

His involvement at the Battle of Badon, in particular, is supportable but also exemplifies the problematic nature of the historical narrative, recording he slew 960 men in battle, quite an impossible number.

Image: Ani Adigyozalyan

The incredible story of "Beauty and the Beast" might have been based on a real person, Petrus Gonsalvus, a young boy from the 16th century. Petrus suffered a severe case of hypertrichosis, a condition that causes a person to grow hair all over their body, often referred to as "werewolf syndrome."

Gonsalvus was 10 years old when he was sent to the King of France to operate as a court jester. Eventually, King Henry's wife, Catherine de Medici, found Gonsalvus a wife. Though it took some getting used to, the beauty fell in love with the "beast." They remained married for 40 years and had seven kids together, four of which also had hypertrichosis.

Image: Christian Chomiak

According to Greek mythology, the Amazons were a race of legendary female warriors. This was disputed until modern archaeological discoveries gave new life to the claims. Believed to be descendants of Ares, the God of War, and Harmonia, the Goddess of Harmony, these women supposedly dedicated their lives to the perfection of martial prowess.

Recent archaeological findings have uncovered numerous burial sites of female Sarmatian warriors. With as many as twenty percent of all warrior tombs in the ancient territory containing women, this discovery has provided new impetus to believe in the Amazons as real historical individuals.

Image: Igam Ogam

One of the most supernatural characters in our list is based on a real-life individual. Count Dracula, the literary villain created by Bram Stoker was, at least partially, based on Vlad III, also known as Vlad Dracula, a Romanian prince who employed some gruesome tactics to defend his territory of Wallachia, a region south of Transylvania.

During his lifetime, Vlad was known for his enjoyment of torture and killing, reportedly impaling tens of thousands of enemies on stakes and then feasting among his victims.