30 Animals That Scientists Want to Bring Back From Extinction

If you’ve seen any of the films in the Jurassic Park franchise, then you know that scientists have been obsessed with bringing back extinct animals for years. Many animals, not just dinosaurs, have gone extinct over the centuries. Some of these animals have gone extinct due to humans, and others due to natural phenomena.

Scientific processes are created each year, that bring scientists closer and closer to bringing certain species back to life. Some of these involve cloning, while others involve growing genomes and so much more. If you’ve been wondering about what species might be making a comeback, then continue scrolling. You will be amazed to see what scientists are working on. Some of these animals have been extinct for well over 2,000 years, which means their genetic makeup or DNA has to be extracted from fossils. It’s simply astounding what is possible, but let’s not try and create our very own Jurassic World. Carnivorous dinosaurs should stay in the past, where they belong.

Pyrenean Ibex

The Pyrenean Ibex went extinct only 21 years ago, and this was largely due to the fact that its environment was no longer as habitable as it once was. Spanish scientists from the Center for Agro-Nutrition Research and Technology have made it their mission to bring this unique species back to the region.

Thus, they have embarked on a $6 million project to attempt to create an embryo from the only Pyrenean Ibex still alive in captivity. So far, they have managed to breed a kid, but it did not manage to survive. Scientists are hopeful that they will still be successful in their efforts.

Woolly Rhinoceros

The Woolly Rhinoceros was once native to the area that now comprises Russia. It would roam the plains and munch on grass amongst the other animals that were alive 4,000 years ago. While the woolly rhino no longer exists, Russian scientists from Northern-Eastern Federal University have begun to experiment with different scientific methods that may create a viable embryo.

The belief is that if they can bring back a rhino, they may be able to bring back other animals like the cave lion. This research is not cheap though, and the program currently has $4.5 million worth of funding.

Quagga

The Quagga has not been extinct for that long. It was found in Southern Africa in the 1800s but was prized for its skin. That saw it hunted to extinction during the colonial era, and by the end of the 19th century, there were none left. At Cape Town University, researchers have begun to experiment with creating a crossbreed between a quagga and a zebra.

That is essentially what the quagga was. While the team has yet to produce a quagga, they do have around $1 to 8 million worth of funding, which means they should have enough cash to produce something. The hide of deceased quaggas is what is being used to grab DNA.

Great Auk

Another species that has not been extinct for very long is the Great Auk. This bird faded out of existence in 1850, but a genetic research company called Revive and Restore has since tried to bring it back. The great auk has an ancestor called the razor-billed auk which is still in existence today.

The hope is that the company will be able to take a portion of the razor-billed DNA and change it into the DNA of its predecessor. This has not been a cheap undertaking, and the company has shelled out $2 million in its attempt to bring the species back to life.