comebacks

[frostfire]

Whilst trying to find some more information about the Tangmalm owls born in Drenthe, I stumbled across a really interesting article about species who were extinct in the Netherlands, but are now making a thriving comeback. Apart from the tangmalm owls, the giant wasp, the stalk, the salmon, the houting, the twaite shad, European river lamprey, many species of dragonflies and the Speckled wood are back and doing well! Next to those species coming back, the pinemartins are spreading out.
So many rivers are so much cleaner that it is bringing all sorts of species back, so we are finally starting to bare the fruits of the industry who has been cleaning its act up since the Basil disaster, when tons of rubish was dumped into the Rhine.
So it seems to be more good news here on the wildlife front. Just wondering now, what other species in other countries are thriving again after extinction?

[Hobjob]

Salmon back in the Thames is the most obvious example to me.
They were extinct there for about 100 years till the 70s.

Then there was a massive hit to the fish when floods in
summer 2004 pushed lots of sewage into the river.

[StuartDH]

The UK has also seen otters taking up home in many rivers that they'd deserted 40 years ago because they become polluted

I remember when the London Whale swam up the Thames a few years ago that it was said to be an exampe of how much cleaner the river is that a whale should choose to swim up it

[paul m]

Probably the most noticed re-establishments have been birds. The avocet became practically extinct in Britain but efforts led by the RSPB allowed populations to recover. A major success several decades back ... and it became the symbol of the RSPB. Perhaps bigger successes, although smaller numbers are of the northern raptors, osprey ( The RSPB: Conservation: Osprey ) and sea eagle: BBC - Science & Nature - Wildfacts - White-tailed sea eagle, grey sea eagle - although they are far from secure.

I'm still trying to think of some beetles that have staged recoveries!

[frostfire]

Nice to hear a few good stories for a change about loads of different species doing well!

Originally Posted by frostfire

Next to those species coming back, the pinemartins are spreading out.

It seems that the pinemartins haven't chosen the best place to extend themselves to though, as they have started to cause a bit of chaos whilst moving out of the Veluwe. They have taken to digging holes in a cemetery and so far have dug up human remains 10 times...
So a bit of a typical situation; one day the papers were full of how good it was for the Dutch wildlife that they were moving, the next they are complaining about their expansion!

[paul m]

Not an actual extinction but getting close. Encouraging news:
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Black rhinos released into wild

[H Dogg]

An interesting one from my point of view is a small relic population of pine martens local to me in England, its really exciting that these have been found although only in small numbers it may hopefully allow them to spread in time.