extinction

20 years ago, the Burmese roofed turtle was presumed extinct, but today, we have some good news! This huge Asian river turtle, whose face seems to be set with a permanent smile, has been saved from extinction by a group of scientists. After accidentally coming across a few of these turtles, these scientists, over the years, have managed to grow the population of these turtles to 1000 and counting, with some of the turtles even released back into the wild.

Heartbreaking news from Australia: a year-long New South Wales parliamentary inquiry revealed that without urgent intervention, koalas will likely be extinct in parts of Australia before 2050. The investigation found that "loss of habitat, fragmented populations, and fire" have been major threats to koalas.

Sometimes, life...finds a way. Cue the Jurassic Park theme song

In all seriousness, this is really incredible. All these animals were so very close to extinction but overcame the odds and now are thriving! Just the kind of uplifting news we need in this world.

Learn more about each species below (commentary by MentalFloss):

Penguins aren't exactly formidable creatures, are they? Although Emperor penguins can reach up to 4 feet 2 inches, they always seem super friendly and cute. Now imagine a penguin the same height as you. That changes things. Penguins the size of humans... the idea sounds like it comes from science fiction. But it actually just comes from science. It was recently discovered that giant penguins used to exist. We are not kidding. 

The Spix's macaw, or as most would recognize as the parrot from the animated film Rio, heads the list of first bird extinction confirmed this decade. You can read more of this story at Birdlife.org.

To learn more about the troubles facing cheetahs and how you can help, click here.