Colossal Aims to Revive the 12‑Foot Giant Moa after Dire Wolf Success

Colossal Biosciences sets its sights on the moa—the towering flightless bird of New Zealand—as its next de‑extinction milestone. Standing up to 12 feet tall, the moa vanished nearly 600 years ago. With support from Ngāi Tahu and Peter Jackson, Colossal will reconstruct a moa genome using DNA from well‑preserved bone samples and gene editing in a related species such as emu. The company sees this as more than a scientific endeavor—it is a mission to restore ecological balance, revive seed dispersal roles, and reconnect cultural heritage. Leveraging lessons from the dire wolf project, Colossal expects to face technical challenges in reproductive biology, but anticipates a living moa within a decade—fueling hope for a future where extinction is no longer final.

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