Are you curious to know if any endangered animals are making a comeback? We were, so we did some digging. Although many ecosystems and animals are suffering from pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change, some animals are happily getting the crucial support they need, which is encouraging news indeed.
1. Bald Eagle
Reduced to 417 breeding pairs in the 1960s by the ravage of DDT, bald eagles have made a huge comeback and have been removed from the endangered species list. There are now about 10,000 breeding pairs in the wild.
2. Regent Honeyeater
Although the total population is still small, Australia’s regent honeyeater is making a definite comeback. Some birds were bred in captivity and released into the wild, and encouragingly enough, most of them survived and adapted quickly.
3. Black-Footed Ferret
Black-footed ferrets were given up for extinct in 1979, but when a small population was discovered, captive breeding and artificial insemination programs brought the population back up to 4,000, with 1,400 released into the wild.
4. Giant Panda
When I was growing up, the giant panda seemed doomed to extinction, but thanks to extensive captive breeding, the population remains stable at about 1,500, and their habitat has been promised extensive protection by the Chinese government.
5. Humpback Whale
Hunted down to only about 1,500 in the 1940s, the humpback whale has made a dramatic comeback after a 1963-ban on hunting. Now there are approximately 40,000 of them inhabiting our oceans. Unfortunately, the Japanese have begun hunting them again even though they are still protected. Humpbacks are officially still considered endangered.
