Lost Species

We cannot help restore species and protect their habitats unless we know where they are – and that they still exist.

Re:wild’s flagship, Guinness World Record-setting program, the Search for Lost Species, is all about looking for plants, animals and fungi that have been lost to science for at least 10 years — sometimes hundreds of years. With the help of IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist groups, Re:wild has pulled together a list of more than 4,300 lost species across 160 countries.

Colossal has joined the search by supporting our most wanted lost species subset, which span species groups, geography and habitat!

So far 12 of the world’s most wanted lost species have been rediscovered since the Search for Lost Species launched in 2017.

Re:wild and Colossal will work with local partners to launch about 10 expeditions every year to find the world’s most wanted lost species and catalyze conservation for those rediscovered. Colossal will bring its genetic technology to support these searches and work to create reference genomes. This work will also provide opportunities to discover species entirely new to science.

Check out the current list of most wanted lost species here.