While Halloween–or All Hallows’ Eve–has mostly become a secular holiday, it is still a good time to honor the spirits of extinct Pennsylvania species such as animals, insects, and plants, writes Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Some species have been luckier than others. Today, you can still see eagles soaring over the water at Marsh Creek State Park if you are walking by at the right time. However, in 1983, there were only three nesting pairs in the whole state. The Pennsylvania Game Commission had to import eagles from Canada to help with restoring the population.

The attempt was successful and today, there are over 300 nests across the state. 

The list of animals that we can no longer see in Southeastern Pennsylvania is long and sobering. Among them is the eastern wolf, which disappeared sometime in the late 19th century. Eastern mountain lions, fishers, and beavers are also gone. 

“The memory of the wild lands and wildlife that our grandparents saw as kids has ghosted away from us,” said Lisa Williams, chief of wildlife diversity for the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. 

Read more about the extinct Pennsylvania species in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

_______