The dodo, a bird that vanished in the 17th century, has long stood as the ultimate symbol of extinction. Now, a Texas-based biotechnology company says the species could soon return to Mauritius, its former island home.
Colossal Biosciences announced Wednesday it has grown pigeon primordial germ cells—precursors to sperm and eggs—for the first time. The company described the breakthrough as a decisive step toward reviving the dodo, which has been extinct for more than 300 years.
Gene-edited chickens as surrogates
The firm, already known for headline-grabbing efforts to restore woolly mammoths and dire wolves, said it has also engineered chickens to act as surrogates. These chickens will be implanted with germ cells from Nicobar pigeons, the dodo’s closest living relatives.
With gene edits to recreate the bird’s distinctive body and head shape, the process could eventually make dodo breeding possible.
Five to seven years for return
Chief executive Ben Lamm said the project could reach its goal in as little as five to seven years. He stressed that Colossal aims to create thousands of genetically diverse dodos, not just a token pair, so they can survive in the wild. The company is working with conservation groups to identify rat-free areas in Mauritius where the birds might one day roam again.
🚨🦤✨ HUGE breakthroughs on the path to bringing back the dodo. From gene-edited birds to the first pigeon primordial germ cells, and more, extinction is losing.
Scroll through and feel the rise of “Big Dodo Energy.”
(1/11) pic.twitter.com/HMWPKeXefm
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) September 17, 2025
Extinction driven by hunting and habitat loss
Dodos once wandered the forests of Mauritius without predators, until hunting and habitat loss accelerated their decline. European sailors and invasive species such as pigs, macaques, and rats pushed the flightless bird to extinction. The last confirmed sighting came in 1662, when a Dutch sailor described it as “a kind of very big goose.”
Reintroduction will be gradual
Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief scientist, called the achievement “super exciting” after a year of work on gene-editing birds, which she said are more challenging than mammals. She emphasized that reintroduction would be gradual and closely managed.
While the ecological effects are uncertain, she said bringing back a large fruit-eating bird could deliver “happy surprises.”
Scientists remain cautious
Skeptics remain cautious. Leonardo Campagna, an evolutionary biologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said Colossal’s work is impressive but faces major hurdles. Re-creating the dodo’s unusual face, wings, and size may never be exact, he said. “But is this in fact the dodo? We need to acknowledge that there is a lot we don’t know and maybe never will.”
SCIENCE
A step closer to the Dodo
Since its demise in the 17th century, the Dodo has long been synonymous with extinction.
Thousands could soon populate Mauritius, the species’ former home, according to a “de-extinction” company that announced a breakthrough in its quest to… pic.twitter.com/4FLdEtc1IQ
— Grouse Beater (@Grouse_Beater) September 17, 2025
Other experts worry about the ethics. Rich Grenyer, a biologist at the University of Oxford, warned that gene-edited animals are “a sort of simulation” and risk distracting from urgent conservation needs. Habitat destruction, climate change, and hunting now threaten about 2 million species worldwide, with extinction rates far faster than historic norms.
Celebrity investors back Colossal
Despite doubts, Colossal is attracting powerful backers. On Wednesday, the company revealed it had raised another $120 million, lifting its valuation to $10.2 billion. Among the investors are celebrities like film director Peter Jackson, who has backed efforts to resurrect the moa, a giant bird once native to New Zealand.
Lamm said the dodo project should be seen as part of broader conservation work and as a way to inspire public interest in science. “So whatever you want to call them,” he said, “as long as you’re calling them something.”
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