Peter Jackson puts money into a project to restore the extinct birds of MOA

The well-known New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who gained popularity thanks to the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, together with his partner Fran Walsh, invests $15 million in a project to revive the extinct Moa bird.

Colossal BIOSCIENCES initiated the project in collaboration with the Ngai Tahu Research Center. Scientists plan to recreate birds that are most similar to MOA, utilizing genetic engineering technologies.

The first stage of the work will involve analyzing DNA samples from the residues of the MOA and comparing them with the DNA of modern species, such as EMU and Tynamo. After that, a team of scientists will attempt to overcome the challenges associated with developing embryos to create birds exceeding three meters in height.

“Moa has always been a significant part of our national identity. However, none of us saw them in the living room. It remains a dream:” How it may be – to meet one of these birds? “It is so captivating that I sincerely hope that it happens soon,” Jackson said.

Moa were the largest birds on the planet; some of them weighed up to 225 kilograms. They lived on the South Island of New Zealand and died out in the sixteenth century, probably due to the hunting by the Polynesians who arrived on this island about 150 years prior.

Today, the descendants of the Polynesians, representatives of the Māori tribe, are working together with scientists to restore these birds. Earlier, Colossal BIOSCIENCES had already successfully reproduced the North American “Lutovoka”; however, within the organization, it is noted that birds’ reproduction presents its unique challenges.

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