Scientists trying to study the endangered Devils Hole Pupfish accidentally brought the endangered fish closer to extinction according to reports by the Pahrump Valley Times, Live Science and others.

National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists set traps for the fish last year in Devil’s Hole Cavern. About 80 of the small silvery pupfish died in the traps when a flashflood washed over the cavern. The total killed could be a third or more of the remaining adult fish in the wild, officials said.

How often do mankind’s attempts to help the ecology instead damage it? Is this hubris or just a unavoidable mistake?