Colossal Biosciences announced Thursday that it is pursuing the revival of the bluebuck, an antelope species driven to extinction more than 200 years ago by hunting in what is now South Africa. The announcement marks the sixth species on the company's de-extinction agenda, following its high-profile 2025 reveal of cloned dire wolves.
The company has already sequenced bluebuck DNA, mapped the genome, and compared it against living relatives. Chief Executive Ben Lamm said Colossal is now in the final and most difficult phase of genetic editing. A birth is targeted for 2028, following a nine-month gestation in a surrogate animal.
The bluebuck takes its name from the silvery-blue coloring that distinguished it from other antelope. South African conservation groups have signaled support for eventual re-wilding efforts, should the project succeed.
Lamm framed de-extinction work as a path to new technologies, biodiversity gains, and environmental sustainability. He rejected the notion that Colossal is building a zoo, saying the company wants to return animals to native habitats where they can thrive and benefit their ecosystems. He left room for public-facing conservation areas similar to Kruger National Park, but emphasized that those decisions belong to governments and indigenous communities.
The woolly mammoth remains Colossal's centerpiece project. Lamm said that effort is on schedule for a first birth in 2028, with the team in late-stage genetic editing and preparing for embryo transfer into elephants.
Skeptics have mounted pushback. Some researchers last year challenged whether Colossal's dire wolves are actually dire wolves, or merely grey wolves engineered to resemble the extinct species. Paul and Anne Ehrlich of Yale's Center for Conservation Biology have argued that reviving extinct species is an unwise idea, even if technically feasible. Other critics warn of potential ecological side effects from reintroducing modified animals into the wild.
Lamm countered that Colossal is working deliberately with governments, scientists, ecologists, and indigenous partners to manage risks responsibly.
Author James Rodriguez: "The bluebuck announcement shows Colossal is serious about building a portfolio, but whether any of these animals can actually survive and thrive in the wild remains the real test."
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