Image of a green chameleon sitting on branch

(c) Thorsten Negro/imageBROKER/Biosphoto 

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Lost and Found

These animals had not been seen for years. What happens now that scientists have found them? 

As You Read: Why might wildlife experts want to track down missing animals?

Scientists around the world are on the hunt!

They’re racing to find lost species. Those are creatures that experts haven’t spotted in the wild for many years.

Re:wild is a group whose mission is to find missing animals. It started searching for lost species in 2017. It knows they could be facing threats, like habitat loss.

“If we don’t know where they are, we don’t know what their threats are,” Barney Long explains. He’s a scientist at Re:wild. “We don’t know the solution to their conservation.”

Here are three species that were found again.

Scientists around the world are on the hunt! They’re racing to find lost species. Those are creatures that experts haven’t spotted in the wild for many years.

Re:wild is a group whose mission is to find missing animals. It started searching for lost species in 2017. It knows they could be facing threats, like habitat loss.

“If we don’t know where they are, we don’t know what their threats are,” Barney Long explains. He’s a scientist at Re:wild. “We don’t know the solution to their conservation.”

Here are three species that were found again.

Voeltzkow’s Chameleon

Missing For: 108 years

Country Found In: Madagascar

© Thorsten Negro/imageBROKER/Biosphoto

Madagascar is home to nearly half the world’s chameleon species. But one type had been missing for more than 100 years. 

That changed in 2018, when scientists set out to find the Voeltzkow’s (VOHLTZ-kouz) chameleon. They searched high and low, using flashlights to hunt in dark places. They finally found one in a surprising spot—a hotel garden!

A big threat to this species is habitat loss. Humans often chop down trees where the chameleons live. Scientists hope to save the species by protecting their homes.

Madagascar is home to nearly half the world’s chameleon species. But one type had been missing for more than 100 years. 

That changed in 2018. Scientists set out to find the Voeltzkow’s (VOHLTZ-kowz) chameleon. They searched high and low. They used flashlights to hunt in dark places. They finally found one in a surprising spot. It was in a hotel garden!

A big threat to this species is habitat loss. Humans often chop down trees where the chameleons live. Scientists hope to save the species by protecting their homes.

Fernandina Giant Tortoise

Missing For: 114 years

Country Found In: Ecuador

Galapagos Conservancy

For years, experts worried the Fernandina giant tortoise had become extinct. What had been killing them? Rats, pigs, and dogs are big threats. Long ago, humans hunted the tortoises too.

In 2019, experts on the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador discovered something exciting. It was tortoise poop! Soon after, they found a female Fernandina giant tortoise that is at least 50 years old. (Giant tortoises can live for more than 100 years.)

Experts hope to find more giant tortoises on the islands. Their plan is to breed them to help the population grow.

For years, experts worried that the Fernandina giant tortoise had become extinct. What had been killing them? Rats, pigs, and dogs are big threats. Long ago, humans hunted the tortoises too.

In 2019, experts on the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador discovered something exciting. It was tortoise poop! Soon after, they found a female Fernandina giant tortoise. It was at least 50 years old. (Giant tortoises can live for more than 100 years.)

Experts hope to find more giant tortoises on the islands. Their plan is to breed them. This could help the population grow.

Silver-Backed Chevrotain

Missing For: 29 years

Country Found In: Vietnam

Global Wildlife Conservation

Hunters in Vietnam set traps to catch animals for meat. Many silver-backed chevrotains (SHEV-roh-taynz) were killed in these traps. The animals seemed to disappear. Experts wondered if the traps caused the species to become extinct. 

Recently, cameras set up in forests provided good news. They were designed to take photos when animals moved past them. In 2019, the cameras took hundreds of photos of chevrotains. 

Experts are using the images to learn more about the species. Their goal is to persuade the local people to stop hunting the animals.

Hunters in Vietnam set traps. They do this to catch animals for meat. Many silver-backed chevrotains (SHEV-roh-taynz) were killed in these traps. The animals seemed to disappear. Experts wondered if the traps caused the species to become extinct. 

Recently, cameras were set up in forests. They provided good news. They were designed to take photos when animals moved past them. In 2019, the cameras took hundreds of photos of chevrotains. 

Experts are using the images to learn more about the species. Their goal is to persuade the local people to stop hunting the animals.

Map It Out

This map shows where these three species were found. On what continent was the giant tortoise found? 

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Map It Out

This map shows where these three species were found. On what continent was the giant tortoise found? 

Jim McMahon/Mapman®
  1. What does the author mean when he or she writes that scientists are “on the hunt”?
  2. What threats have the three animals described in the article faced?
  3. What did scientists learn about silver-backed chevrotains by using cameras?
  1. What does the author mean when he or she writes that scientists are “on the hunt”?
  2. What threats have the three animals described in the article faced?
  3. What did scientists learn about silver-backed chevrotains by using cameras?
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