By 2005, Galápagos teams removed Santiago’s last goat; an endangered daisy tree later recovered enough for a status downgrade proposal

The last goat on Santiago Island in the Galápagos was removed by conservation teams by 2005, leading to a remarkable recovery of the endangered Scalesia atractyloides, also known as the daisy tree. The tree species, once on the brink of extinction due to goat overgrazing, has shown significant recovery, prompting conservationists to propose downgrading its status from endangered to a less critical category. This success story highlights the positive impact of dedicated conservation efforts and the potential for species to rebound when given a fighting chance.