Colossal Biosciences, Peter Jackson Plan Moa Bird Resurrection

Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company, has launched a project to resurrect the extinct South Island giant moa, a flightless bird that stood nearly 12 feet tall and vanished about 600 years ago in New Zealand. The initiative is supported by a $15 million investment from filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson, who has also contributed his extensive private collection of moa bones to help recover DNA for the effort. Collaborating closely with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, the project emphasizes indigenous leadership to guide ecological restoration and habitat planning. Colossal aims to splice moa DNA into the genomes of close living relatives like emus, following their previous work on de-extincting dire wolves and woolly mammoths. While the project has generated excitement about restoring lost biodiversity, some scientists caution about potential ecological impacts and question the feasibility of fully reviving extinct species. Overall, this endeavor represents a novel blend of cutting-edge genetic engineering with indigenous ecological wisdom, aiming to redefine conservation science worldwide.