An expert biodiversity ranger was called in to respond to a tip about a local bird species in New Zealand previously thought to be extinct, the Miami Herald reported. After multiple days of failed search, the ranger and his canine buddy, Brew, finally spotted the kiwi pukupuku, also known as the little spotted kiwi.

The rare bird species was first spotted by a hunter in the remote Adams Wilderness Area on the western coast of New Zealand's mainland, where the last known sighting of the bird occurred in 1978, according to a press release by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Extensive search efforts for this kiwi bird species have proved unsuccessful, leading all to believe the bird had gone extinct.

So when the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) received the hunter's video of a little spotted kiwi hunting for food in a pile of leaves, the department immediately called in a more experienced kiwi bird conservationist to confirm this sighting.

DOC biodiversity ranger Iain Graham and his kiwi-certified conservation dog Brew flew into mainland New Zealand's western coast in May to locate this presumed extinct bird.

Upon arriving, Graham heard a kiwi duet — a harmonizing call produced between a male and female kiwi — leading him to realize the presence of two kiwis.

Brew accurately identified the kiwi bird scat while Graham followed the tunes of the kiwi pair. However, finding them proved much more difficult.

On the second-to-last day before the ranger duo was scheduled to fly out, Brew led Graham to a kiwi burrow hole, where the ranger staked the site out for six hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the birds, to no avail.

As if guided by fate, however, the next day, after the rain had passed, Graham finally spotted the female little spotted kiwi and was able to capture the bird, attach a transmitter to her, and collect some pin feathers for DNA analysis.

Though the DNA tests took some time to return, the DOC team was ecstatic to learn that the kiwi Graham had found was, indeed, a purebred female of the presumed extinct bird species.

Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas ☝️ No way 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"I'm not sure how to express how thrilling this rediscovery is for the conservation world!" said  Kiwi Recovery Group leader Emily King, per the Miami Herald. "It was like finding a needle in a haystack."

Shortly after finding the female kiwi, Graham and Brew located the male kiwi, which sent waves of hope through the conservationist community.

The return of the little spotted kiwi is a sign of optimism for the revival of a healthy and diverse ecosystem.

Earlier this month, conservation experts were delighted by the return of a rare red-cockaded woodpecker in Columbia, South Carolina, where the species hasn't been seen in nearly 50 years.

In California's North Yuba River, a river restoration project rediscovered the presence of the Chinook salmon, which hadn't been seen in the waters in nearly a century.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.