Can We Bring the Dodo Back?

De-extinction fascinates me. I (probably like you) love reading updates from organizations like Colossal- a key de-extinction organization, wondering when I will see a little dodo head pop into frame- a relic reimagined over 300 years after the last known bird graced windswept Mauritius.

 Re-inventing the Dodo

Can you imagine seeing a real dodo bird today—a creature that disappeared over 300 years ago? Once found only on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, the dodo bird became extinct around 1681. Why? Sailors hunted them, cleared their forest homes, and brought animals like rats and pigs that ate dodo eggs. The dodo couldn’t fly, making it easy prey. But now, like a 1950’s movie, scientists think they might be able to bring this fascinating bird back to life.

This effort is called de-extinction, and it’s like science fiction turning into reality. Using incredible technology, researchers are trying to recreate a dodo. In 2022, they decoded the dodo’s DNA, which is like a recipe for how the bird was made. But the dodo’s DNA isn’t perfect—it’s broken into tiny pieces, and scientists have to figure out how to fill in the missing parts.

Frankenbird?

How do they plan to do this? They’ll use CRISPR, a powerful tool that lets scientists edit DNA. The dodo’s closest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon, a small bird that still lives in parts of Asia. Scientists have been using the Nicobar pigeon DNA, modifying it to match the dodo’s genome. Once they’ve done that, they hope to grow a new dodo-like bird inside a surrogate bird’s egg.

This project is exciting, but it’s also full of challenges. Will the new bird be able to survive in the wild? Mauritius isn’t the same as it was in the dodo’s time. Humans have changed the land and introduced new species. Some people wonder if bringing the dodo back is a good idea at all.

“De-extinction could be a powerful way to engage people with conservation,” says Beth Shapiro, a scientist and author of How to Clone a Mammoth. “But we also need to be thoughtful about how we do it.

We CAN bring the Dodo back- but SHOULD we?

There are moral questions, too. Is it right to bring back a species we caused to disappear? Wouldn’t it be better to spend time and money saving animals that are endangered now? And what if something goes wrong—could introducing a dodo disrupt today’s ecosystems?

Even if scientists succeed, a dodo brought back to life might not be exactly like the ones from history. Its traits could be slightly different, and its survival skills might not match today’s environment. Still, this effort could teach us a lot about DNA, evolution, and how to protect species in the future. We all can do our part to save the species we have but supporting organizations that work to save our endangered friends.  Speciologie donates 5% of sales to support groups making a difference. These groups include the IUCN, the publisher of the “red list” calling attention to the plight of species worldwide.

The idea of seeing a dodo again sparks curiosity and wonder. Maybe one day, children visiting Mauritius will watch a real dodo waddle through the forest. Whether or not that happens, one thing is clear: projects like this remind us of the impact we humans have on nature and how important it is to care for the world around us.