Golden Mole, Presumed Extinct for Over 80 Years, Rediscovered in South Africa
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — Researchers in South Africa have announced the rediscovery of a species of mole with a dazzling golden coat and a unique ability to navigate through sand dunes, challenging the belief that it had become extinct more than eight decades ago.
The De Winton’s golden mole, a small, blind burrower endowed with extraordinary “super-hearing powers” and a diet consisting of insects, was located on a beach in Port Nolloth on the west coast of South Africa. This remarkable find was made by a collaborative effort between researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the University of Pretoria.
Having eluded scientific observation since 1936, the researchers, aided by a sniffer dog, detected tunnel traces in 2021 and subsequently discovered a golden mole. However, due to the existence of 21 golden mole species, some of which closely resemble each other, the team required further evidence to confirm its identity as a De Winton’s.
To establish certainty, the team collected environmental DNA samples, which include genetic material left behind by animals in skin cells, hair, and bodily excretions. It wasn’t until 2022 that a De Winton’s DNA sample from decades past became available from a South African museum, enabling a conclusive comparison. The DNA sequences proved to be a match.
The team’s extensive research and findings underwent peer review and were recently published.
Samantha Mynhardt, one of the researchers, shared, “We had high hopes, but we also had our hopes crushed by a few people. One De Winton’s expert told us, ‘You’re not going to find that mole. It’s extinct.'”
The entire process spanned three years, from the initial expedition to the west coast of South Africa to the commencement of the search for a mole known for leaving minimal traces of its tunnels and exhibiting a unique sand-dune “swimming” behavior. Golden moles, native to sub-Saharan Africa, specifically the Port Nolloth area, rarely venture beyond their distinctive habitats.
Mynhardt revealed that two De Winton’s golden moles have been officially confirmed and photographed in Port Nolloth, with signs of other populations in the area detected since 2021.
Esther Matthew, senior field officer with the Endangered Wildlife Trust, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “It was a very exciting project with many challenges. Luckily we had a fantastic team full of enthusiasm and innovative ideas, which is exactly what you need when you have to survey up to 18 kilometers of dune habitat in a day.”
The De Winton’s golden mole was featured on the “most wanted lost species” list compiled by the Re:wild conservation group.
Other species on this list, including a salamander found in Guatemala in 2017 after 42 years of no sightings and a Somali sengi, an elephant shrew spotted in Djibouti in 2019, recorded its first sighting since 1968.
