(snaps teeth) - Yeah, that's right. The wild bongo don't play. Every year a new species
goes extinct on our planet. Sometimes naturally and sometimes
due to human interference and it's a shame because many of these
creatures are amazing. But as it turns out, some
of those amazing creatures that we once thought were
extinct are actually still alive. Here are 10 amazing animals we thought were extinct but aren't. Number 10 is the coelacanth. Some animals just don't know
when to quit and the coelacanth is one of them. This slippery two meter
long fish was thought to be a dead relic of from
The Cretaceous Period. For your reference, that was between 66 and
145 million years ago. It wasn't until 1938 that
the scientific community discovered that the
coelacanth was alive and well off the coast of South Africa. And with its three lobed
carpal fin and a secondary tail protruding out from
underneath its primary tail, this fish is a true living fossil. In fact, other populations
of this fish have been found off the Comoro Islands near Indonesia. In fact, while the modern
world was scratching its head at finding the coelacanth
alive, indigenous populations knew of its existence all along. Look at that thing. Isn't that just something you'd want to take home and snuggle? Okay, maybe not. Number nine is the
Giant Palouse earthworm. Its clear that there are all
sorts of things creeping around under the earth. Especially when something as big as the Giant Palouse
earthworm can go unnoticed. Originally discovered in 1897
in eastern Washington state, the last confirmed
sightings of this animal were in the 1980s. Due to pesticides and
other ecological pressures, the Giant Palouse earthworm
was thought extinct. Fast forward to 2010 and
scientists discover that this huge wriggling earthworm is still alive. Its called giant for a reason. Growing up to a massive
one meter in length and some believing that
there may be even bigger specimens out there. Burrowing to a depth of 4.6 meters, the Giant Palouse earthworm
moves through layers of volcanic ash deep underground
feeding on rich deposits of rotting organic matter. Well, just in case you
needed another reason to stay above ground, it's nightmares. Number eight is the
Madagascan Serpent Eagle. The Eutriorchis astur or
the Madagascan Serpent Eagle has one of the coolest and yet
demonic sounding middle names that I've ever heard. But it also has some
ninja level hiding skills. So much so that this secretive
forest eagle was able to elude researchers for almost 70 years. That's pretty impressive when you consider that it has a wingspan of
over one meter in length. This is not a small birdie. Before 1996, the Serpent Eagle
hadn't been conclusively seen since 1930 and was believed by many to have died out completely. However, it had in fact
managed to evade prying eyes by hiding in the thick forest canopy of Northeastern Madagascar
using its piercing yellow eyes to identify prey, swooping down on anything it could get
its long sharp talons into. This includes snake,
lizards, and even mammals. Yeah, even you if you're not careful. It's gonna take a bite out of your face. Number seven is the Tree Lobster. Don't mind me I'm just the Tree Lobster. You thought I was gone. Australia is one of the most ecologically interesting places on the planet. The continent is vast
with a sparse population so it's no wonder there's new discoveries or rediscoveries that keep popping up. In October of 2017, scientists
discovered tantalizing DNA evidence which suggest
that the Tree Lobster is alive and well. Well, okay, it's not really a lobster. It's in fact a type of stick insect. It can grow up to 15.2
centimeters in length and with its armor plated shell, it's far more robust than related species. The Tree Lobster
inhabited Lord Howe Island east of the Australian mainland. But in 1918 when a ship
crashed into the rocks there it released a plague of rats
which wiped the species out. Well, nearly. Recently in 2017 it was
discovered that the Tree Lobster had actually adapted under
pressure and managed to survive. Well done little guy. Number six is the La Gomera Giant Lizard. Okay, so the La Gomera Giant Lizard isn't actually that huge. It grows to be around
half a meter in length. But in lizard terms that's
a pretty big lizard. What's more remarkable about this lizard is that it was last documented
during the 19th century. Thought extinct it then
popped up again in 1999. The La Gomera Giant Lizard
is understudied simply because there aren't
that many left of them. On the island of La Gomera,
a part of the Canary Islands, it's estimated that only 90
individuals live in the wild. They have been found on
two inaccessible cliffs two kilometers apart. Largely herbivorous, these
lizards are easy prey for feral cats and rats
and have been put under further pressure from
overgrazing and hunting. But thankfully, the population seems to have been growing since 2001. Though with so few left,
the entire species' future is on the line as we speak. Number five is the Caspian Horse. Historical descriptions
of the Caspian Horse led researchers to
believe that it died out during just after the 7th century. But somebody forgot to tell the Caspian Horse that
as a breeding population was found in Northern Iran in 1965. Following this, fossils
dating back to 3400 BC support the claim that the
Caspian is the oldest breed of domesticated horse on the planet. A small breed of horse, they only grow to be around
one meter to 1.2 meters tall. Although larger specimens
have been produced. While the Caspian has a spirited
strong willed disposition it's famous for being gentle
and understanding too. With Caspian stallions even
allowing children to ride on their backs without
too much persuasion. Despite its size, it is a
handy species and is still bred today continuing a tradition which goes back thousands of years. Extinction is now well and
truly (neighing) off the table. Number four are Monoplacophora Mollusks. This squelchy creature
supposedly went extinct 500 million years ago. But you can't keep a good mollusk down. In 1952, living specimens of the Monoplacophora were discovered. You'd be forgiven for thinking
Monoplacophora are related to snails due to their gelatinous
insides and shell on top. But they're actually a great
example of parallel evolution. Where two unrelated species
evolve similar traits. Living in the very depths of the sea, moving over the ocean
floor in search of food, their remote habitat may explain how they survived for so long. This is because they were less
affected by climactic change on the surface of the planet
across millions of years. And there are at least 20
existing species of Monoplacophora with shell sizes varying
from three millimeters to 37 millimeters in diameter. And every single one of them
possesses nightmarish mouths full of tentacles, blah. Number three is the Chacoan Peccary. Is it a pig? Is it a plane? Well, it's obviously not a
plane but you might be fooled into thinking that the Chacoan
Peccary is in fact a pig. These animals live in
Paraguay, Bolivia in Argentina and were assumed extinct until 1971. Discovered in the Argentinian
province of Salta, the Chacoan Peccary grows
over a meter in length standing nearly 70
centimeters at the shoulder. Although they have large
snouts and strong teeth, peccaries behave more like herd animals when they're under threat. They spray secretions from
dorsal glands if attacked which may act as a signal to
other peccaries in the group to stay together. But this animal has another
interesting defense strategy. When faced by a predator,
a herd may huddle together to create a wall against an attack. Man, these things belong in the movie 300. Just stacking bodies on top of each other. Number two is the Vanzolini
Bald-faced Sakiit. Oh, look at that, I got a new
nickname: Bald-faced Sakiit. It took 80 years but in 2017, the scientific community
finally discovered proof that the Vanzolini Bald-faced
Sakiit was still alive. In remote parts of South America, conservationist Laura Marsh
diligently cataloged species until she finally
discovered the Vanzolini. Thought to be extinct for over 80 years in its natural habitat. Unlike other new world monkeys, the Vanzolini doesn't use its
tail to move around trees. Instead, it runs on all fours across thin branches like a cat. Its unusual appearance has
made it the stuff of legend. With a large hood of hair
draped around the head and bright golden legs. Now, almost nothing is
known about this species. Though one curious
trait has been observed. Male Vanzolini monkeys
will encourage predators to chase them. An act of altruism to
protect nearby offspring. Ah, don't hurt my babies. Look at my behind, it's a
big piece of juicy meat. Come get me. And number one is the Javan Elephant. You'd probably think it's
difficult to hide an elephant but until 2003 it was believed
that the Javan Elephant population was hunted to
extinction during the 1800s. But a case of mistaken identity may have brought them back from oblivion. In Borneo there's a breeding
population of pygmy elephants considered a smaller
distinct species of elephant on their own. Locals in Borneo however
have insisted for decades that the elephants in their
homeland are not indigenous but were in fact brought to Borneo by the Sultan of Sulu centuries ago. After Columbia University and
the World Wildlife Federation carried out some genetic testing, it turns out that the Borneo elephant isn't even a thing at all. The Sultan of Sulu did indeed
transport Javan Elephants to his land centuries ago, saving an entire species of
elephant from extinction. That's what you call a happy ending. Those were 10 amazing animals that we thought were extinct but aren't. And if you guys enjoyed this remember to give it a big thumbs up
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