The Search for Lost Species is a high-impact digital initiative and interactive database managed by Re:wild in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
The website serves as a global “most wanted” list for biodiversity, dedicated to locating and protecting animal and plant species that have not been seen by scientists for decades—or even centuries—but are not yet classified as extinct.
The platform is a masterclass in educational storytelling, combining striking wildlife photography with interactive maps and data-driven narratives.
It aims to inspire professional scientists, indigenous communities, and “citizen scientists” to launch expeditions to rediscover these “lost” species and implement urgent conservation strategies.
Core Features
- The Top 25 Most Wanted: A curated list of the highest-priority lost species across the globe, including charismatic and ecologically significant animals like Attenborough’s Long-beaked Echidna and Jackson’s Climbing Salamander.
- Interactive Global Map: A technical interface that allows users to explore “lost” hotspots by region, showing where specific species were last recorded and the environmental challenges facing those areas.
- Rediscovery Tracking: Highlights successful missions in which species once thought lost were found, demonstrating that focused conservation efforts and expeditions can yield results.
- Science-Led Conservation: Integrates data from the IUCN Red List to provide context on the extinction risks and the specific biological criteria used to define a species as “lost.”
- Call to Action: Provides resources for explorers and local communities to report sightings and join the global effort to document the planet’s missing biodiversity.
