Through the efforts of government agencies, community groups, and individuals several species have recovered to some extent moving off the endangered species list, now let to live on their own with occasional monitoring.
Most of these are birds. Those affected most by DDT, are now recovering thanks to the ban of the insecticide in 1972. The peregrine falcon was de-listed in 1999 and is probably the most famous example of a success story. (For more info on these birds of prey see my March 2001 article. Along with the falcons, other birds have also recovered such as the Easter brown pelican. These birds are an awesome sight to see when travelling alone or in a flock. They can reach wingspans of six and a half feet. The bald eagle while not officially off the endangered list as of yet has shown great improvement due not only to the ban of DDT but also due to the fact that once these birds were hunted and since the enactment of the Endangered Species Act, they have been protected.
Some animals have been taken off the list because people found whole populations. While not a success of bringing numbers up by conservation it is still a relief to know that birds like the Palua birds that inhabit only one island in the Pacific are doing just fine. Even plants like the Rydberg milk-vetch have been taken off the list because more areas where the plant covered the ground was discovered.
But in other areas we can thank our conservation instincts. The gray whales have officially recovered with numbers over 20,000. Due to commercial whaling their numbers dwindled to under 1000, but through a ban on whaling they have recovered at a faster pace than any other whale.
The American alligator also recovered from extensive hunting and later illegal poaching thanks to the diligence of law enforcement agencies on both the federal and state level.
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