The Guadalupe fur seal was once considered extinct, after being decimated by poaching for its dense, luxurious underfur. Remarkably, the species was rediscovered in 1954 with just 14 individuals remaining and, despite a tremendous recovery, it still remains the rarest of all fur seal species Prized for its fur, many sealers in the late 19th century drove the Guadalupe Fur Seal to extinction. But by the 1990, becuase of conservation efforts, the seals now number in 10,000s.