In New Zealand, the return of wild takahē populations marks a cautiously celebrated conservation victory, and the return of one of the world’s rarest creatures. The birds had been formally declared extinct in 1898, their already-reduced population devastated by the arrival of European settlers’ animal companions: stoats, cats, ferrets and rats. After their rediscovery in 1948, their numbers are now at about 500, growing at about 8% a year.

      • liv@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Long tailed bat and short tailed bat.

        We used to have 3 but the bigger version of short tailed bats died out.

        • TaldenNZ@lemmy.nz
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          1 year ago

          Two! Two bats!

          (The actual bats don’t look anything like these bats. This is just a tribute)

          • anon6789@beehaw.orgOP
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            1 year ago

            Lol, you two have me picturing literally just 3 bats in the whole country and the middle one being upset he isn’t biggest or smallest and is plotting to take one of the other 2 out.