"We are not trying to recreate two dodos. We want to make thousands": Reviving the world's most famous bird

After raising $120 million, approximately 5.6 billion Mauritian rupees, the Texan company Colossal Biosciences aims to bring the dodo, the now-extinct iconic bird, back to life. This was reported in an article published on the Country Life website on January 24, 2026.

To achieve this, the company plans to inject cells from the Nicobar pigeon, considered the closest living relative of the dodo, into hens, before employing genetic editing and selective breeding to recreate the species.

"Our goal is to produce enough dodos, with adequate genetic diversity, to reintroduce them into their natural environment and allow them to truly thrive," explained Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, to reporters. "We are not trying to recreate two dodos. We want to make thousands."