Dozens of captive-bred Pacific pocket mice were released onto the grounds of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, in California, on May 23, the corps said.Footage released by Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton shows the release of the tiny animals.A total of 50 mice were released, the corps said.The release was part of a cooperative effort with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to bring the mice back from the brink of extinction.The Pacific pocket mouse population has declined sharply since 1932 due to human encroachment and habitat degradation, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife alliance said.The species was thought to be extinct for two decades, until a small group was rediscovered in 1993 in Orange County, California.The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance initiated a conservation breeding and reintroduction program in 2012, and has already successfully released one captive-bred population into the wild.Pacific pocket mice play a vital ecological role by dispersing native plant seeds and promoting plant growth through their digging activities, according to the alliance. Credit: DVIDS via Storyful