How did this "rarest insect" beat extinction? Here's the success story

Lord Howe, a stick insect, beat extinction, and proved that survival is the ultimate goal of all organisms, and for that, the specie can make the impossible, possible. The insect is also known as the "tree lobster". The insect successfully defied extinction. It was in the year 2001 when the once extinct insect was rediscovered on the Ball's Pyramid.

There are only 20 to 30 tree lobster insects living. The San Deigo Zoo has enthusiastically invited visitors to have a glance at these exotic insects.

The insects survive on the Ball's Pyramid. The habitat of the Lord Howe Island stick insects is dangerous for the species as they are prone to critical landslides and weather conditions. Therefore, there existed a need for zoos to take steps to preserve the species, and the zoos did just that and more.

The species is important in maintaining the ecological balance, and thus robust moves were made to preserve it. A variety of zoos across the globe including the Bristol zoo, the San Diego Zoos, and the Melbourne joined hands to preserve the Lord Howe Island stick insects from getting extinct again. The San Diego Zoo attempted to raise awareness among the masses by permitting the visitors to admire the insects from close.

The history of extinction, the tale of rediscovery

There was a time when the insect was found in huge numbers on the Lord Howe Island. However, an unfortunate rat invasion occurred in the year 1918, due to which the population of the tree lobsters declined significantly.

Consequently, the insects got declared to be "extinct" in the year 1989. However, what sparked interest in researchers was the skin sheds and insect poop found in the reports of climbers' in the 1960s on the Ball's Pyramid. In the year 2003, four insects were extracted by a rescue team. Then started a successful breeding program of the insects.

Zoos have collaborated various efforts to increase the population of the insects.

The reproduction process of the insect have also contributed in increasing the number of insects. In other words, the female stick insects successfully clone themselves by the process of pathenogenetic reproduction, and this very process has contributed to increasing the numbers of the insects.