KarunaNews Story

In a thrilling twist of ecological fate, scientists have confirmed the rediscovery of a tiny gecko species once thought extinct on Rábida Island in the Galápagos. Thanks to a successful restoration and rewilding project, the discovery marks a major conservation milestone that shines as a beacon of hope for biodiversity recovery efforts worldwide. The elusive Leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus maresi) was previously only known to have walked the island from 5,000-year-old fossil records. Its existence has now been officially documented through live specimens collected during expeditions by the US nonprofit Island Conservation—evidence which has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal PLOS ONE this month. This rediscovery was made possible by a successful, bold conservation intervention in 2011. Damaging, non-native invasive rodents were removed from Rábida Island, paving the way for native species to bounce back—and within a year of completing the eradication, they discovered the Leaf-toed Gecko long thought extinct. The return of this gecko highlights nature’s incredible power to heal itself when given the chance,” said Paula Castaño, Island Conservation’s Impact Program Manager.