Target: Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer of Colossal Biosciences
Goal: Support genetic research intended to conserve North American red wolves and other endangered species.
Certain populations of wolves are in imminent danger from human actions, as outlined in this ForceChange petition. A company called Colossal Biosciences recently made headlines when it claimed to have brought back a species of wolf that last roamed the earth during the Ice Age. While the “resurrected” dire wolf pups are believed by many scientists to be genetically modified, cloned versions of gray wolves, the births of these pups did mark a breakthrough that has reinvigorated the wolf conservation fight.
Buried beneath the media blitz for “de-extinction” was a more muted but perhaps more consequential development. The scientific minds behind the biotech firm had also successfully introduced four cloned North American red wolves, birthed via surrogate wolf mothers. This development could be transformative for a critically endangered species that only has 20 known inhabitants living in the wild. Colossal Biosciences has affirmed its commitment to conservation and to eventually introducing these animals into the wild, where they could provide a needed boost of biodiversity to a dying species.
Sign the petition below to laud the quiet success behind the flashy show.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Dr. Shapiro,
From advanced reproductive and genome editing technologies to non-invasive procedures to secure materials from endangered animals, the dire wolf and red wolf cloning projects have helped chart a promising new course in conservation. The word “de-extinction” may be a matter for debate, but the very real implications for critically at-risk species are not. What could be better than bringing a species back from extinction but saving current animals from the same fate?
Thank you for these continued and invaluable contributions to animal conservation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Manuel Fandino Cabaleiro
