'They’re hatching a Dodo': Inside the wild plan to reverse 300 years of extinction
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Dodo Reboot
Extinct since 1681, the dodo may return by 2028. Using pigeon DNA and CRISPR, scientists aim to hatch the bird via chicken surrogates in one of modern science’s boldest resurrection bids.
Feathered Ghost
A preserved dodo skull from Denmark holds the DNA blueprint. Colossal’s lab is decoding it to rewrite extinction—and possibly history.
Pigeon Parent
The Nicobar pigeon, the dodo’s closest living cousin, is being re-engineered to carry ancient traits, reshaping its genome into that of a prehistoric bird.
Mammoth March
With 98% genetic overlap, Asian elephants are becoming vessels for woolly mammoth DNA. Fuzzy, cold-hardy calves could be born by 2028, reshaping tundras and conservation science alike.
Cold Comeback
The revived mammoth isn’t just a curiosity—it’s designed to fight climate change by restoring arctic grasslands, a bold bet on ecological engineering.
Thylacine Returns
The Tasmanian tiger, extinct since the 1930s, may walk again. Scientists are editing the genome of the dunnart, a tiny marsupial mouse, to rebuild this striped predator.
Mini to Mighty
From mouse to marsupial hunter: transforming a dunnart into a thylacine means reworking size, stripes, and hunting instincts—a genetic leap across species.
Clone Cycle
Elephant eggs, mammoth genes, and nuclear transfer: a cloning cocktail brewing in Texas could redefine what counts as extinction—and what doesn’t.
Future Wild
Colossal’s mission is stirring ethical storms: are we playing god or correcting our past? As creatures return, the line between nature and tech blurs forever.