Generations before us used their passions to preserve park lands. The next generation used their voice to jumpstart animal conservation. What about this generation? What legacy will we leave, knowing our world is reaching a boiling point, with Earth’s temperatures rising and more than 40,000 animal species in danger of extinction?
Our generation sounded the alarm. But that’s not enough. It's also up to us to solve the problem. Traditional conservation efforts have saved species, restored habitats and made impacts on local ecosystems. However, the rate of destruction far outruns the rate of recovery. We need innovative and aggressive new solutions to extend our stay on this planet.
In a statement released ahead of last fall’s COP27, the IUCN issued a dire warning: the headway made since 2015’s Paris Agreement hasn’t been enough to keep the mean global temperature 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The IUCN’s Dr. Bruno Oberle lamented that “the situation is critical, and the shortfall in ambition and urgency is very concerning.”
If we rely on traditional conservation efforts only, we won’t make it. It will take more than a $15/mo. donation to your favorite wildlife non-profit to turn things around.
That's why my company and others have invested in disruptive conservation strategies like de-extinction, rooted in science, bolstered by technology.
De-extinction can restore ecological balance
Lab-based de-extinction can improve genetic diversity, strengthen numbers, and protect species and habitats. By bringing back lost species — or re-introducing nearly extinct ones — ecosystems are restored.
Pleistocene Park, a revolutionary project in northern Siberia, has begun reintroducing ten grazing herbivore species to the mammoth steppe. When its original animal population died out, an unfortunate chain reaction occurred. The grasslands vanished, the permafrost melted, and a ton of greenhouse gasses were released. The mission of Pleistocene Park is to restore the grasslands through re-population. If all goes as planned, a deep roots system that can store CO2 underground will be established.
Taking this idea further, Colossal wants to utilize gene editing and artificial wombs to create Wooly Mammoth/Asian elephant hybrids that can improve the tundra’s grasslands by trampling moss, flora, and trees that didn’t thrive during the Pleistocene era. And because grasses absorb less sunlight than trees, these modern-day mammoths will help keep the permafrost from thawing more than it already has.
In addition to trying to arrest the melting of the arctic permafrost, Colossal’s efforts will also protect modern elephants from extinction. Asian elephants, for instance, are currently susceptible to a dangerous strain of herpes. Using the sequenced genome of the Asian elephant, Colossal is culturing the virus as a first step in developing a vaccine. While the goal of 2026 as the delivery date for the first “mammoth,” Colossal is also working to preserve the species we haven’t lost.
Entrepreneurial opportunities in disruptive conversation
There are many ways entrepreneurs and scientists can come together and make a difference in the conservation space. If you’re up for the challenge, you could explore:
Epigenetics Changing inheritable characteristics without DNA sequence alterations. Epigenetic changes can endure through cell divisions for the life of the cell or last for multiple generations, even though the underlying DNA sequence of the organism does not change.
Genetic engineering Inserting laboratory-engineered DNA to create favorable traits, usually through CRISPR. CRISPR is an engineered cellular technology that can be used to recognize and cut a specific code of DNA inside a cell’s nucleus.
Gene drive systems Using synthetic biology to ensure a specific gene gets passed down with a greater probability (50% of the time or more). Biologists in this field are exploring if they can exploit naturally occurring gene drive to disseminate genetically engineered changes in wild populations over multiple generations.
Genetic rescue: Preserving species' genetic information (similar to a data backup). Genetic rescue aims to produce high-quality genome assemblies of vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species by the IUCN.
Species extension Giving at-risk species characteristics from extinct relatives so they can survive in new environments. This is important when species are on the brink of extinction, slow to evolve (limited numbers/long lifespans), or running out of habitable terrain.
Disruptive conversation isn’t a new thing — or as radical as you might think
Epigenetics, genetic engineering and genetic rescue, and more have been in practice for years. Here are a few real-world examples of that hint at what’s possible:
Sumatran Rhino (genetic rescue)
The Sumatran Rhino is the only two-horned rhino left in existence. Its population has dwindled to just 80 animals due to the illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss, and a lack of government protections.
Today, the outlook for the Sumatran rhino is increasingly positive, thanks to relocation programs and focused efforts to promote breeding in safe environments. Conservation of this megafauna is also aided by sequencing its genetic code. With a complete reference genome, the total loss of the species is preventable.
Florida Panther (cross-breeding)
The Florida panther is the only breeding population of puma in the eastern U.S. While the Department of the Interior listed the Florida panther as an endangered species in 1967, there are multiple conservation measures today. The panthers now roam safely on 2.5M acres in private and public lands.
To maintain a healthy level of genetic variation in Florida panthers, biologists are using selective breeding with Texas pumas. These and other techniques have increased the Florida panther population to 200 animals.
North American Plains Bison (cross-breeding and species reintroduction)
The Department of the Interior announced the Bison Conservation Initiative in 2008. Its goal was to manage genetic diversity and integrity across conservation herds in 12 states by relocating individual animals and groups.
Since the initiative was announced, wide-ranging bison herds have been maintained and established in areas where they fulfill their role as ecosystem engineers.
Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf (species reintroduction)
At the beginning of the 20th Century, the wolf population within Yellowstone National Park was decimated. Their absence ultimately had a cataclysmic effect on the ecosystem.
Elk became abnormally sedentary since they no longer had predators. Because more and more elk were around to feed on the willow trees, beavers ran out of the wood they used to make dams. A lack of beaver dams reduced fish breeding pools and led to devastating run-off.
In 1995, however, wolves were reintroduced via the Yellowstone Wolf Project. Since then, the park’s ecosystem has been rejuvenated and is healthier, from fish and birds to vegetation and water quality.
Disruptive conservation is a complement, not a replacement
With lab-based de-extinction efforts accelerating positive change, species can be reintroduced faster than what’s possible through traditional conservation. In some cases, when animal populations are replenished so is the flora, which creates healthy, sustainable habitats. This, in turn, can decelerate climate change and global warming.
Science fiction? Not anymore. And that’s something that can unite both the John Muirs and the John Hammonds.