'Extinct' Giant River Otter Resurfaces in Wild as Several More Born in Captivity On 5/28/21 at 2:07 PM EDT A species of otter long considered to be extinct has recently resurfaced—literally. Footage of the "extinct" giant river otter bobbing its head from the water while on an afternoon swim has excited the animal conservation community, which thought the species had died out in the wild. According to a Facebook post from the Fundación Rewilding Argentina, conservation director Sebastian Di Martino spotted the species that was believed to be extinct while kayaking on the Bermejo River in the Impenetrable National Park in Argentina on May 16.