IIRC it's an open secret among preservationists that species often are widely known to be extinct before being declared as such because many protections hinge o

IIRC it's an open secret among preservationists that species often are widely known to be extinct before being declared as such because many protections hinge on their status as "endangered" and would be lifted once they're declared extinct, thus risking further endangering other species sharing the same habitat. It's essentially a choice between losing protections for other species and painting a rosier picture by undercounting what has been lost.