The Company That Brought Back Dire Wolves Plans to De-Extinct a Giant Bird Next with Peter Jackson's Help

Yahoo

13-07-2025

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh invested $15 million in Colossal Biosciences' effort to revive the extinct giant moa bird using ancient DNA and gene editing
The project, in early stages, aims to bioengineer a moa-like bird while collaborating with Māori leaders and scientists to guide cultural and ecological restoration efforts in New Zealand
Critics argue de-extinction diverts focus from protecting endangered species, but Colossal insists the technology is meant to complement conservation, not replace itLord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is helping fund a groundbreaking, and controversial, attempt to revive the extinct giant moa, a towering flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand.
On Tuesday, July 8, Texas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences announced a new initiative to genetically recreate the South Island giant moa, which vanished around 600 years ago due to overhunting and habitat loss.
Jackson and his longtime partner Fran Walsh have contributed $15 million to the effort, marking their first public investment in the company.
"Thinking of Colossal as just a de-extinction company is failing to understand their full potential, for these same scientific breakthroughs will also be used to rescue multiple endangered species currently on the brink of extinction," said Jackson, per Colossal's website.
"As far as the health of [the] natural world goes, this is the most positive news any of us could hope to receive. It's great — I'm feeling like an excited kid again."
The project also includes a collaboration with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury, representing New Zealand's principal Māori tribe in the South Island.
Jackson, who owns one of the world's largest private moa bone collections, became involved after connecting with Colossal CEO Ben Lamm about two years ago, explained Jackson. That conversation led to a broader partnership.
The early stages of the giant moa project will focus on recovering ancient DNA from well-preserved bone specimens and comparing it to the species' living relatives, like emus, to isolate the moa's unique traits.
"We are in the very early stages," said Colossal's chief scientist, Beth Shapiro, noting that birds pose specific challenges. Unlike mammals, bird embryos develop inside eggs, which complicates any future surrogate process. Still, the team hopes to eventually bioengineer a bird that closely resembles the extinct moa in size and form.
Colossal's announcement comes on the heels of its headline-making claim that it produced three dire wolf pups last year by modifying gray wolf DNA. The company is also working on reviving the woolly mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger. Its method — dubbed "de-extinction" — uses ancient DNA, CRISPR gene editing, and cloning to reintroduce lost genetic traits into modern species.
While the moa project is still in its foundational phase, the company says it has committed "a large investment" to ecological restoration in New Zealand. The goal is to rehabilitate former moa habitats to support native wildlife, though no timeline has been given for when a moa-like bird might be born.
Ngāi Tahu scholars are playing a key role in guiding the project's cultural and ecological direction. Archaeologist Kyle Davis, an expert in moa remains, says the collaboration has "reinvigorated the interest" in Māori traditions and mythology tied to the iconic bird.
But not all scientists are convinced. Critics argue that true de-extinction isn't technically possible; at best, researchers can create a hybrid species with some similar traits. Others worry that investing in long-gone animals may divert attention and resources from critically endangered species that are alive today.
"This is intellectually interesting, but should be a low priority," said Scott MacDougall-Shackleton, an avian biologist, to CNN Science, pointing to the hundreds of threatened island bird species urgently needing conservation.
Lamm maintains the technology is meant to complement, not replace, traditional conservation. "I think that we could have a scalable de-extinction system that isn't going to replace conservation, but it is kind of that additional backup that I think we need, especially in these dire cases," he said."
Read the original article on People