The Victorian grassland earless dragon, Australia's most imperilled reptile, was rediscovered in 2023 after being thought extinct for half a century. At the new conservation center in Melbourne Zoo, dozens of these critically endangered dragons are being bred to support their recovery in the wild. The facility can house hundreds of dragons, with breeding efforts aimed at increasing their population to over 500 individuals, double the estimated wild population. This initiative is crucial as their natural habitat has been drastically reduced to just 0.5% of its original extent due to urban development. The last wild cohort survives on a single private grazing land, making their future precarious. Experts, including Prof Brendan Wintle from the University of Melbourne, emphasize that the government must act to secure this land as a conservation reserve to prevent the species from facing extinction again. Without urgent action, the survival of this remarkable species hangs by a thread, as any adverse event could lead to their demise in the wild.