Wildlife and nature enthusiasts know all about the “miracle” at Yellowstone Park in north-western United States. In 1995, the grey wolf — which had been hunted to eradication by the 1920s — was reintroduced to the park. In the years and decades that have followed, not only has the wolf population flourished, the entire ecosystem — biodiversity, water bodies, other fauna — has been rejuvenated. The latest project by Texas-based company Colossal Biosciences (it is also trying to bring the woolly mammoth back) in partnership with the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research Lab at the University of Melbourne wants to reintroduce — through gene editing and cloning — the extinct Tasmanian tiger. Clearly, it wants to recreate the success of Yellowstone Park. Unfortunately, it may end up becoming a poor copy of Jurassic Park.
The Tasmanian tiger, once widespread in Australia, was hunted into oblivion in the wild in the 1930s and the marsupial was declared extinct by the 1980s. Rebirthing extinct species through gene editing and cloning is certainly within the realm of the probable. But the likelihood of creating a viable population for the species to flourish is unlikely — as much because of the nature of the world today as scientific constraints.
The carnivore may not be hunted today, but its ecosystem could certainly come under threat — from climate change, careless tourists. Besides, there is no precedent for re-wilding a genetically-engineered animal. And perhaps most importantly, Colossal Biosciences, a profit-making enterprise, is spending about $15 million on the project. A few Tasmanian tigers will be a money-making attraction and proof-of-concept. In Jurassic Park, too, profit was the driving force behind playing god. Remember how it ended?
