Species presumed lost forever have mysteriously reappeared alive.

The natural world occasionally delivers surprises that shake our understanding of extinction and survival. Animals declared gone forever sometimes reappear in remote corners of the planet, confounding scientists who had written them off as casualties of habitat loss, hunting, or environmental change. These rediscoveries, known as Lazarus species, represent some of the most thrilling moments in modern biology. Each reappearance forces researchers to reconsider how thoroughly they’ve surveyed Earth’s wild places and how resilient certain species can be against seemingly insurmountable odds. The stories behind these resurrections reveal hidden refuges, mistaken identities, and the humbling reality that vast portions of our planet remain insufficiently explored to declare anything truly extinct with absolute certainty.