This is a list of species that have recovered from endangered status or threatened status. To be included, the conservation status of a species must have been identified as threatened (comparable to IUCN Vulnerable) or worse. The assessment should be documented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – IUCN Red List, or NatureServe – NatureServe conservation status, or any another comparable assessment program such as the New Zealand Threat Classification System. In addition, the species must have recovered to a significant extent. Merely arresting a population decline is not sufficient. The recovery does not need to result in a change to the conservation status, but the sources must be clear that the recovery is significant and long-term. The sources should document an increase in the estimated number of individuals, enduring for several years. The recovery does not need to be recent. The decrease in population does not need to be caused by humans. A local recovery may be included it if is a notable local recovery. For example, if a species were extirpated on a continent or major archipelago, and later successfully re-introduced. Local recoveries in a province or small region should not be included, unless it is widely reported in major publications. A recovery of a subspecies may be included only if it is a notable subspecies. Discovery of living fossils thought to be extinct is not appropriate for this list (unless the discovery is followed by a population increase). Recoveries limited to captive breeding in zoos or cultivation in botanical gardens (while the wild population remains stable or is declining) may be included, but the fact that the recovery was limited to captive breeding or cultivation should be mentioned in this article. This list includes recoveries that are successful for several years, even if the recovery is not permanent. If a successful recovery is later reversed (and even if the species becomes extinct) the recovery may be included, and the reversal should be mentioned in this article. The set of currently recovering species is continually changing, and the definition of "recovery" is not well-defined, so this list may never be complete.
Recovering species
Birds
Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus – Around 400 nesting pairs remained in the contiguous U.S. in the 1960s. Recovered after the ban on DDT, habitat protection, and reintroduction programs. Brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis – Recovered dramatically after DDT was banned in the U.S. California condor Gymnogyps californianus – Only 22 birds remained in 1982. Captive breeding has increased the population to over 500, with many flying free. Chatham Island black robin Petroica traversi – Recovered from just five birds, including only one breeding female. Echo parakeet Psittacula eques – Increased from fewer than 20 individuals to several hundred. Kākāpō Strigops habroptilus – Declined to 51 birds in the 1990s. Intensive management has increased the population to more than 250. Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus – Only four known individuals remained in 1974. Intensive management increased the population into the hundreds. Nene Branta sandvicensis – Increased from fewer than 50 individuals, after the United States Congress in 1958 passed a law authorizing the creation of a federal protection program for the nene. Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus – Nearly disappeared from much of North America because of DDT. Now widespread after pesticide bans and reintroductions. White-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla – Nearly extinct in western Europe around 1900, re-introduction and other conservation measures in Norway, British isles, and elsewhere have led to a partial recovery. Whooping crane Grus americana – Fell to just 21 wild birds in 1941. Today there are over 800 individuals across wild and captive populations.
Mammals
Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx – Extinct in the wild by 1972. Reintroduced successfully; now several thousand exist in managed wild populations. Black footed ferret Mustela nigripes – Thought extinct until a tiny population of 18 was found in 1981. Breeding and reintroduction have established multiple wild populations. Channel Island fox Urocyon littoralis – Some island populations fell below 20 animals before recovering rapidly through conservation. European beaver Castor fiber – Nearly exterminated across Europe but has returned to many rivers through reintroductions. American bison Bison bison – Decreased from tens of millions to only a few hundred in the late 1800s. Conservation has increased the total population to hundreds of thousands, though most live in managed herds. European bison Bison bonasus – Extinct in the wild after World War I. Reintroduced from captive animals. Several thousand now live in Europe. Giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca – Downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable after decades of habitat protection. Golden lion tamarin Leontopithecus rosalia – Fewer than 200 remained in the wild in the 1970s; populations have grown through breeding and habitat restoration. Grey wolf Canis lupus – Globally rated "Least Concern", but was severely reduced in numbers in western U.S. and Europe. Reintroduction in those areas has restored populations in several regions. Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus – Increased from fewer than 100 adults in the early 2000s to several thousand today. Mountain gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei – Population of this subspecies of eastern gorilla has surpassed 1,000 thanks to anti-poaching and habitat conservation. Przewalski's horse Equus przewalskii – Extinct in the wild by the 1960s. Reintroduced to Mongolia and China from captive populations. Southern white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum simum – Fewer than 100 individuals of this subspecies of white rhinoceros survived around 1900. Population grew to over 15,000, though poaching has caused recent declines.
Marine mammals
Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus – Numbers have increased since commercial whaling ended, though they remain endangered. Gray whale Eschrichtius robustus – The Western Gray Whale subspecies (that resides near North America) recovered from commercial whaling to tens of thousands, however continues to face environmental challenges. Hawaiian monk seal Neomonachus schauinslandi – After decades of decline, recent conservation efforts have led to population growth, particularly around the main Hawaiian Islands. Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae – Severely depleted by commercial whaling. Many populations have rebounded since the global whaling moratorium. Northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris – Hunted to near extinction, with perhaps 20–100 survivors in the late 1800s. Today there are well over 200,000. Sea otter Enhydra lutris – The Southern sea otter subspecies (which lives near California – Enhydra lutris nereis) increased from about 50 surviving animals in the early 1900s to several thousand in 2024.
Reptiles American alligator Alligator mississippiensis – Nearly wiped out by hunting and habitat loss. Now common across much of the southeastern U.S. and removed from the endangered species list. American crocodile Crocodylus acutus – Recovered significantly in Florida and parts of the Caribbean. Galapagos giant tortoise Chelonoidis hoodensis – This species is critically endangered, but one of the subspecies – from Española Island – has rebounded through captive breeding and invasive species removal. Subspecies on several other of the Galápagos Islands are not recovering. Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas – Nesting populations have rebounded at many protected beaches. Kemp's ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys kempii – Once the world's rarest sea turtle; intensive nest protection has increased nesting numbers.
Fish Adriatic sturgeon Acipenser naccarii – Extinct in its former range near Albania, it was nearly extinct in the northern Adriatic, but the northern population is showing signs of slow recovery since a breeding fish farm program was established in 1988. Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus – Some populations are showing signs of recovery after fishing restrictions, although the species remains threatened. Devil's hole pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis – Only found in a single water-filled cavern in the US, which was nearly eliminated due to water withdrawals by a nearby ranch, until a US Supreme Court case halted the water removal. The population has never exceeded 500, and in 2006 it fell to 38 individuals. Recovery since then has been irregular and uncertain.
Amphibians Mallorcan midwife toad Alytes muletensis – A living fossil, known only from fossil records, until discovered alive in 1977. Captive breeding program was initiated in the 1980s, but recovery is slow and irregular.
Plants Wollemi pine Wollemia nobilis – A critically endangered tree, discovered in 1994. There are fewer than 100 trees in its only wild location in Australia. A successful ex situ cultivation program has resulted in the tree now growing in over 30 countries, and has greatly reduced extinction risk.
Butterflies and moths
Large blue butterfly Phengaris arion – Became locally extinct in Netherlands and United Kingdom in 1970s. Scientists discovered it depended on a specific ant species for its caterpillars to survive. After restoring the right grassland habitat and reintroducing butterflies from Sweden, it is now established again in areas where it was locally extinct. Mission blue butterfly Icaricia icarioides missionensis – This subspecies is restricted to a handful of fragmented habitats around San Francisco. Habitat restoration and protection have stabilized several populations, but recovery is uncertain. Schaus' swallowtail Papilio aristodemus – Reduced to very low numbers after hurricanes and habitat loss. Captive breeding and habitat management have helped stabilize wild populations.
Insects and beetles Lord Howe Island stick insect Dryococelus australis – Thought extinct for about 80 years after invasive rats devastated its island home, it was rediscovered in 2001 on a tiny offshore sea stack. Fewer than 30 individuals were found. Captive breeding has produced thousands, and as of 2024, reintroduction is planned after rat eradication is confirmed.
Snails
Polynesian tree snails, genus Partula – Many species of this genus of Polynesian snails were driven extinct or made nearly extinct by introduced predatory snails. Zoos around the world maintained captive populations, including species Partula taeniata, allowing some species to be reintroduced.
Spiders Desertas giant wolf spider Hogna ingens – Nearly extinct in the only place it is endemic: Deserta Grande Island. As of 2024, the Bristol Zoo is breeding it in captivity while preparations for re-introduction are underway.
Freshwater mussels Pink mucket Lampsilis abrupta – Populations in the wild are decreasing, but an active breeding program has introduced populations into two rivers.
Crustaceans
Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish Astacopsis gouldi – Endangered in its only habitats in Tasmania.
Corals Elkhorn coral Acropora palmata – The overall population of this important coral in the Caribbean Sea is declining, but conservation efforts have successfully rebuilt some local populations.
Other Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus – Found in the Atlantic on the North American coast. Tri-spine horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus – Found in Southeast Asia.
See also Conservation biology Endangered species recovery plan IUCN Green Status of Species Lists of IUCN Red List endangered species Rare species
Notes
References
Citations