Trail Cameras Find 'Extinct' Animals In Unexpected Locations

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Trail cameras are capturing creatures so rare that some were thought extinct for decades, giving scientists a second chance to save them.

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In Guatemala, researchers spent years searching for jaguars and pumas before finally catching them on camera in unexpected mountain locations.

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What shocked scientists most? These big cats were living at much higher elevations than anyone thought possible.

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African leopards, listed as "vulnerable" and extinct in countries like Cambodia and Israel, made a surprise appearance on cameras in South Africa's De Hoop Nature Reserve.

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"This is an incredibly hopeful moment," said one conservation leader after confirming not one, but two leopards in an area where they were rarely spotted.

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How do these apex predators help ecosystems? They prevent prey overpopulation that would transform forests into entirely different landscapes.

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Kazakhstan's snow leopard population has grown by 20% since 2019, with trail cameras providing the proof that conservation efforts are working.

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Perhaps most remarkable: the silver-backed chevrotain, a tiny "mouse-deer" not seen for 30 years, suddenly reappeared on camera traps in Vietnam.

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The Himalayan Quail, presumed extinct for 150 years, was recently rediscovered by these silent electronic witnesses hidden throughout India's forests.

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Want to join the wildlife monitoring revolution? Basic trail cameras now cost less than $40, turning backyard wildlife watching into valuable conservation data.

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