Back From the Brink

Alligator mississippiensis

Rampant and unregulated trade in alligator hide, meat, and eggs put this ancient dragon on a path towards extinction before we reversed course and started putting limits on what people could take. Now, alligators are widespread throughout the southestern US, so much so that they are near ubiquitous in any retention pond or lake throughtout Florida. 

Gymnogyps californianus

In 1985, only 9 condors remained in the wild. The controversial decision to capture these individuals in a last ditch effort to restore their population was a gamble that paid off. Now, roughly 200 wild birds soar above the American West. While still one of the rarest birds in the world, their population continues to climb through captive breeding programs and conservation efforts.

Bison bison

Once numbering in the tens of millions, bison were hunted to near extinction as part of a strategic campaign to genocide Native Americans by eliminating the herds that tribes relied on. Their population dwindled to a few hundred individuals before policies shifted toward recovery. Still a fraction of their original population, there are now tens of thousands of wild bison roaming the American West, and even more on commercial ranches. 

Mirounga angustirostris

This species was once considered extinct until a small island population of a 8 individuals was discovered. In a truly epic move, the team that discovered them proceeded to shoot all but one, cuz ya know. Gotta get those specimens! Luckily, a few dozen slipped past us, and once the US and Mexico agreed to stop killing them, they've bounced back in a truly remarkable comeback story. There are now an estimated 200,000 snorting around!