Researchers have discovered a type of gecko thought to have been extinct for over 30 years in a remote and inaccessible canyon in Capetown South Africa. The gecko species was confirmed to be the Blyde Rondavel flat gecko, first identified in the same canyon in Mpumalanga Province in northeastern South Africa in 1991 and never seen again.
There was an ongoing debate on whether the gecko was completely extinct or endangered. The Blyde Rondavel flat gecko was considered a lost species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed it as data deficient, meaning not enough was known to say for sure if it was extinct.
This debate has now been put to rest by Researchers Darren Pietersen and John Davies returned to the same site last month, determined to find the Blyde Rondavel flat gecko again. 
The research trip took two years. According to the Endangered Wildlife Trust, they should be able to verify that it is a separate species using the information they gathered, including tissue samples.
The trust further stated that five other species of animals had been rediscovered in recent years, namely a mole found in dunes in 2021, after 80 years, a lizard, a butterfly, and a frog species also thought to be extinct or lost to conservationists for decades.
In addition to rekindling optimism for the survival of the species, the recovery of the Blyde Rondavel flat gecko emphasizes the significance of tenacious conservation initiatives and ongoing research into Africa’s isolated areas. This discovery adds to the growing list of extinct species making a resurgence as scientists attempt to confirm its categorization. It serves as a stark reminder that nature still has many surprises in store and that the battle to protect biodiversity is far from over.
