This 'obsessed' movie legend wants to 'deextinct' a 12 foot tall bird after 600 years

Filmmaker Peter Jackson is a huge fan of the Moa bird (Image: AP)

The prospect of reviving a species long believed to be extinct is becoming a reality. A colossal, flightless bird that disappeared from New Zealand approximately 600 years ago could soon take flight again, courtesy of a Texas-based biotech firm and a renowned filmmaker.

Peter Jackson, the acclaimed director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, boasts one of the largest private collections of moa bones—an extinct bird native to New Zealand. His fascination with the large, flightless bird, similar to an ostrich, has led to an extraordinary partnership with Colossal Biosciences, a company recognised for its bold and occasionally controversial projects to resurrect extinct species.

When will moas be resurrected?

On Tuesday, Colossal Biosciences announced their endeavour to genetically recreate the South Island giant moa, which stood at a towering 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall, supported by $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh. The project also involves the New Zealand-based Ngai Tahu Research Centre.

"The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do," Jackson commented. "Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa."

Yet, external experts contend that reviving extinct species in today's ecosystems is likely unfeasible, though it might be achievable to genetically modify existing animals to resemble certain traits. The scientific community is split on the merits of such projects, with concerns raised that focusing on extinct species could detract from conservation efforts for those still among us, reports The Mirror.

What is a moa?

The moa, an elongated-neck bird that roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years before its extinction around 600 years ago due to overhunting, has garnered global attention. A towering skeleton transported to England in the 19th century now stands proudly at the Yorkshire Museum.

In contrast to Colossal's initiatives with dire wolves, the moa endeavour is just taking its first steps. The project took root roughly two years back when Jackson became aware of the firm's ambitions to "de-extinct" or genetically resurrect creatures like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf.

Subsequently, Jackson put Colossal in touch with specialists he encountered while amassing his own moa bone collection, boasting a haul of 300 to 400 bones.

While trading moa bones found on private property is lawful in New Zealand, dealing with those from public conservation lands isn't, and exporting them remains off-limits.

Visitors interact with the skeleton of a Giant Moa bird at the Natural History Museum on 19th January 2024 in London, United Kingdom. (Image: Mike Kemp, In Pictures via Getty Images)

How is de-extinction possible?

Beth Shapiro, Colossal's lead scientist, states that the initial stage of the moa project is to pinpoint well-preserved bones suitable for DNA extraction.

The groundbreaking project will compare the moa's DNA sequences with those of existing avian species, such as the tinamou and emu, in an endeavour to pinpoint the unique traits of these extinct giants.

In a similar vein to their approach with the lost dire wolves, Colossal has analysed ancient DNA to discern genetic variations from present-day grey wolves. The team then adapted blood cells from a contemporary grey wolf using CRISPR, making alterations at 20 different genomic locations.

Scientist Shapiro has outlined the distinctive challenges encountered in bird de-extinction projects. Unfertilised eggs present a particularly tricky obstacle, as techniques like mammalian IVF prove unworkable for avian species.

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Are de-extinct creatures good for the planet?

Shapiro conveyed: "There's lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction," also stressing the preliminary phase of their research: "We are in the very early stages."

If Colossal manages to resurrect a behemoth akin to the moa, Duke University's Stuart Pimm has raised concerns about reintroduction, questioning: "Can you put a species back into the wild once you've exterminated it there?" His doubts extend to the practicality of rewilding programmes: "I think it's exceedingly unlikely that they could do this in any meaningful way."

Moreover, Pimm warned of the dangers associated with such creatures: "This will be an extremely dangerous animal."