By 2027, the woolly mammoth may be resurrected from extinction thanks to Colossal, a biotech firm that is rapidly pushing forward with its plans to bring back this iconic prehistoric animal.
Recently the Dallas-based firm garnered an additional $60 million in funds to fuel its formidable gene-editing venture started in 2021. Colossal hopes to bring back what they call a cold-resistant elephant. As was discussed in a recent Medium post, the goal is to reintroduce the wooly mammoth into its original ecosystems in order to combat climate change.
Colossal regards the woolly mammoth’s wide-ranging migratory habits as a crucial part of safeguarding the Arctic. They believe that resurrecting this species can have an immensely beneficial effect on our planet’s environment, strengthening local plant life through migration patterns and dietary habits of the beast.
Colossal set out with the hope of bringing the woolly mammoth back to Siberia, but as the political climate continues to shift, they may consider other avenues in order to achieve their goal.
“In the minds of many, this creature is gone forever,” says Colossal. But the DNA of the woolly mammoth and Asian elephant are a near-perfect match, standing at 99.6 percent.
This gives them confidence that their goal is achievable. “We’re already in the process of the de-extinction of the Woolly Mammoth. Our teams have collected viable DNA samples and are editing the genes that will allow this wonderful megafauna to once again thunder through the Arctic.”
Leveraging gene editing techniques, Colossal scientists are well on their way to creating a mammoth embryo. They plan to use an African elephant as the surrogate mother. This takes advantage of the size and strength of the host animal, giving it a chance of successfully birthing a woolly mammoth.
In the event that Colossal succeeds in reviving the woolly mammoth — or the thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian tiger) — we can anticipate several new and complex ethical questions to arise surrounding exactly how to manage it.
