Look at that face.
Kangaroos, by default, are great.
So are rats, depending on what way you look at it.
Like, some people keep them as pets and from certain angles they’re alright and they’re part of our ecosystem so, you know, they have a purpose alright, leave them alone.
It makes sense then that a kangaroo rat would be pretty adorable.
Yes, it does. There will be no arguing on this.
See, there he is there. Lovely.
The reason the kangaroo rat is back on our radars though is not just because he’s an adorable little lad, but because people thought he was extinct… and now he’s back.
Fair play, like.
A few weeks back, the San Diego Natural History Museum and the Terra Peninsular rediscovered the San Quintín kangaroo rat, otherwise known as Dipodomys gravipes.
The rat hadn’t been seen in over 30 years – since 1986, to be exact – and had been taken as a modern example of extinction due to agricultural conversion in Mexico.
Essentially, everyone thought the little guy had been wiped out… but he hadn’t.
Stunning.
So, where’s he been all this time then?
Well, he’s just been trundling along really in the few parts of his habitat that haven’t been touched by a whole load of agricultural activity.
The kangaroo rat first started to wane during the 1970s when farming began to peak.
However, now due to a shortage of water in the area that has led to less farming, he’s been able to make his reappearance.
Congrats to all involved.
