DALLAS (KRLD) - Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences is spearheading a bold scientific mission to resurrect the extinct South Island giant moa, a flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand and stood nearly 12 feet tall. The project, launched with a $15 million investment from famed New Zealand filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson, aims to splice moa DNA – recovered from centuries-old fossil bones – into the genomes of its closest living relatives like emus and tinamous.
The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, ensuring Indigenous Māori communities guide the ecological restoration and habitat planning surrounding the moa’s potential return.
Colossal CEO Ben Lamm describes this as “a new model where indigenous leadership guides scientific endeavors,” pointing to broader conservation aims and genetic breakthroughs…