RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. An Australian rodent called the smoky mouse was feared extinct after last season's deadly bushfires. The mouse was already endangered before the fires torched 13.6 million acres and killed 1 billion animals. But camera traps recently spotted survivors of the rodent species in seven locations. Biologists see this as a sign of hope for Australian spring. And during these tough times, hey, we'll take it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.