US-based biotech firm Colossal Biosciences has launched a project to recreate the bluebuck, an antelope that went extinct about 200 years ago.
The antelope that once lived in southern Africa became extinct due to hunting, habitat loss, and livestock pressure.
The biotech company announced that the bluebuck is now the sixth species in its de-extinction program. The lineup already includes the Dire wolf, Woolly mammoth, Thylacine, Dodo, and Moa.
Scientists began work in 2024 by extracting DNA from preserved specimens and reconstructing the bluebuck’s genome. Researchers are now editing genes of the roan antelope—its closest living relative, sharing over 98% of its DNA—to introduce key bluebuck traits.
They plan to create embryos and implant them into surrogate mothers, with gestation expected to last about nine months.
However, some experts question the project, claiming that the startup is not bringing the animal back but is creating a hybrid.
According to CEO Ben Lamm, the bluebuck research could aid conservation of the 29 endangered antelope species still at risk.