Is this ‘de-extinction’ project actually onto something?

Colossal announced a bluebuck project that it says will advance conservation tools such as ovum pickup and genome biobanking.

The company says these technologies will be shared openly and could help protect threatened species, not just support de-extinction efforts.

Critics argue the extinct-animal branding still risks misleading the public and diverting money and attention from species that need help now.

The debate underscores a broader tension: whether high-profile biotech can meaningfully aid conservation without overselling revival of extinct animals.