Strange extinct animals suddenly reappeared

The wildlife world is witnessing the spectacular reappearance of many species thought extinct – revealing previously unknown survival secrets.

On August 3, the Management Board of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park ( Quang Tri ) announced that it had just discovered a rare species of rock rat through a camera trap. This animal species was thought to have become extinct 11 million years ago. Photo: Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.

Previously, this species of rock rat had only been confirmed through specimens, and no individuals had been recorded living in the wild. After identifying the collected specimens, researchers named this species of rat in Vietnam the Truong Son rock rat. Photo: Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.

In May, a wild beaver was filmed in a river in Wales, England. The species was thought to have disappeared from the UK around 400 years ago after being hunted to extinction. Photo: BBC.

Naturalist and presenter Iolo Williams – who spotted the wild beaver on the River Dyfi near Machynlleth – said the clear, sustained sighting was one of the “most amazing” he had ever witnessed. Photo: Emyr Evans/Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.

In March 2025, the Indonesian Coelacanth ( scientific name: Indonesian Coelacanth or Latimeria menadoensis) unexpectedly reappeared when a group of scientists recorded images of them in the sea area off the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. Photo: Alexis Chappuis.

The Indonesian coelacanth is one of only two extant species of coelacanth, considered a “living fossil” because it originated more than 400 million years ago. It was thought to have gone extinct 70 million years ago. Photo: Alexis Chappuis.

During an expedition in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range (Mexico) in early 2025, experts rediscovered an extremely rare rabbit species that was thought to be extinct for more than 120 years. That is the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit. Photo: Joe Figel, Re:wild.

The Omilteme Cottontail (Sylvilagus insonus), was first identified in 1904 by Edward William Nelson in Omilteme, Guerrero, Mexico. It has a thick, dark coat and is very small. Unlike other cottontails, which have white tails, the Omilteme Cottontail has a small black tail. Photo: Matteo Brambilla.

In 2019, researchers at the Global Wildlife Conservation Organization - a non- governmental organization in Texas (USA) discovered the silver-backed chevrotain in the coastal city of Nha Trang (Vietnam). This is the first time this species has been discovered in the wild in Vietnam after nearly 30 years of being thought extinct. Photo: Vietnamnet.

The last time the silver-backed chevrotain was recorded was in 1990. At that time, a team of Vietnamese and Russian researchers obtained the carcass of a silver-backed chevrotain from a hunter. Photo: Vietnamnet.

Readers are invited to watch the video: Many new species discovered in the Mekong River Region. Source: THĐT1.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/ky-la-nhung-loai-dong-vat-tuyet-chung-bat-ngo-tai-xuat-post2149043560.html