California mouse once thought extinct returns as 530 are reintroduced

A mouse once written off as extinct is now being given a fresh chance to survive in the wild. The Pacific pocket mouse, a tiny mammal native to Southern California, was rediscovered in 1993 after being considered extinct for decades. Since then, conservationists have worked to rebuild its numbers through breeding, habitat restoration and carefully planned releases. According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which has led a conservation programme for the species since 2006, more than 530 Pacific pocket mice have now been reintroduced into native habitats. In 2026, the programme reached another milestone with the establishment of a third reintroduced population at Camp Pendleton.A tiny animal with a difficult historyThe Pacific pocket mouse is not much to look at in size. It measures around five inches from nose to tail and weighs roughly as much as three pennies.