Video captures scientists' euphoria after spotting bird believed extinct for 140 years

From mammoths to saber-toothed cats, extinct creatures have fascinated us for decades. But the idea of a supposedly extinct species reappearing after more than a century is nearly unimaginable. That’s exactly how a group of scientists felt during an expedition in Papua New Guinea, where they spotted the black-naped pheasant pigeon—a bird that was thought to be extinct for 140 years. Their elation, captured in a viral video, was shared on Reddit by u/rarepredator in the r/interestingasfuck group, where it’s generating buzz across social media.

“Suddenly I was confronted with this image of what at that time felt like a mythical creature,” shared Jordan Boersma, the expedition's leader, with the National Audubon Society. “It was, without exaggeration, the most surreal moment of my life.” The camera trap had captured an unmistakable image of the elusive pheasant pigeon, which hadn’t been seen since 1882. John Mittermeier of the American Bird Conservancy, who co-led the expedition, echoed the wonder: “To find something that’s been gone for that long, that you’re thinking is almost extinct, and then to figure out that it’s not extinct, it feels like finding a unicorn or a Bigfoot. It’s extraordinarily unusual.”

Speaking to Re:Wild, Mittermeier added that seeing the first photos of the lost pigeon was “the kind of moment you dream about your entire life as a conservationist and birdwatcher.” This eight-member expedition conducted the first-ever camera trapping study on Fergusson Island, according to a press release shared by Re:Wild. The discovery was also a part of “The Search for Lost Birds,” a collaboration between BirdLife International, Re:wild, and American Bird Conservancy, which funded the trip.

The discovery of this chicken-sized floor-dwelling pigeon wouldn’t have been possible without the help of local villagers and hunters, especially a hunter named Augustin Gregory. Gregory guided the team through the village of Duda Ununa west of Mt. Kilkerran, recommending the most appropriate locations for setting camera traps. He was so keen to help them because he, himself, had seen the pigeon somewhere along the ridgeline, and heard its distinctive calls.

Serena Ketaloya, a conservationist from Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea told Re:Wild that the local community was very excited about the discovery of the long-lost pigeon, and is now doing their best to protect the pheasant pigeon. But even the enthusiasm of locals couldn’t match the reactions that Jordan and Doka had when they first looked through the camera footage. A Redditor, u/zurzoth, commented on their video, saying, “It's like finding Waldo in the actual jungle.”

u/sneeko wrote, “That is the most pure joy reaction I think I've ever seen in my life. I love it.” u/yoshithefluffer added, “If everyone in the world was at least half as passionate for the natural world as these guys we would be in such a better place.” Putting it in a rather sentimental manner, u/naavilatov wrote in a comment, “It's always fun seeing grown men giddy about wholesome things.”