Scientists Working To Clone Endangered Species, Even Bring Back Extinct Animals Like Mammoths

What was once exclusively the realm of science-fiction like Jurassic Park, could be reality soon.

Scientists across the globe are racing to use modern DNA techniques to save endangered animals and possibly bring back extinct creatures.

Of course, Dinosaur DNA is pretty much lost forever, however some animals — like the passenger pigeon or gastric-brooding frog — have gone extinct much more recently. Many of these animals, like the Tasmanian tiger or the Steller’s sea cow, were killed off by humans.

Animals like these “are potential candidates for de-extinction” a process which “has now matured into a quasi-serious science,” according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Yet some animals that vanished from the planet even before sea cows and Tasmanian tigers could make a comeback.

“Woolly mammoths became extinct around 3,300 years ago, but the process of bringing them back was easy (or easier) than with other animals because a) their DNA is similar to Asian elephants, and b) they tended to live in cold places, meaning that scientists often discover their remains completely intact, preserved in ice,” according to Techly.com.

While there are those who have Jurassic Park-like ethical concerns with this plan, others object to it because they fear it would lessen the urgency people have to protect already endangered animals.

Still, it is not confirmed to be possible. Scientists could impregnate an Asian elephant with a cloned mammoth, only to find the life form is not viable after a nearly two-year pregnancy.

What do you think? Should they bring back extinct animals or focus more on saving the endangered animals still alive today? Tell us in the comments below.