For nearly forty years, the Guam Rail bird (locally known as the Ko’Ko’) has been extinct in the wild — decimated by the invasive brown tree snake.

But the Ko’Ko’ has been successfully re-introduced. It is the second bird in history to recover from extinction in the wild. Wildlife biologist Suzanne Medina tells us the story of how the Guam Department of Agriculture brought the Ko’Ko’ back, with a little matchmaking and a lot of patience. (Encore episode)

This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez, edited by Viet Le and fact-checked by Berly McCoy.

Short Wave Podcast

It’s science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Maddie Sofia for science on a different wavelength.