Mammoths Reintroduced into Zoos in Five Years
As de-extinction research advances, scientists have used scientific processes like PCR* and others to clone woolly mammoth DNA. Mammoths went extinct in 1650 BCE due to overhunting and environmental changes.
Scientists have found mammoths frozen in permafrost that still contain usable DNA. With this DNA, scientists hope to be able to make a full mammoth embryo. The first mammoth is scheduled to be born in two years in an artificial womb!
A few more years after the first mammoth is brought back, there are hopes to reintroduce them into zoos before they are released into nature reserves near Siberia (a prime location for a mammoth community—one already survived there for thousands of years). These zoos will be used to see how mammoths react to humans and have them in controlled conditions. However, only a few zoos like the Bronx Zoo in New York and the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle will contain mammoths. Mammoths are delicate, and so not all zoos can be trusted. These zoos have been selected because of their reliability and trustworthiness, and zoos in colder habitats are more isolated so the mammoths won’t be able to be viewed by as many people.
These exhibits will be cold, especially relative to the rest of the zoo, as mammoths lived in freezing temperatures. Although architects are already designing heated viewing booths, visitors will still be encouraged to wear winter gear, such as coats and gloves.
Gavin Mackal, an eighth grader, said this when asked about de-extinction: “I think it’s crazy! I mean, we are bringing dead creatures back to life! We could use this to bring other things back too!”
There are ethical reasons that some people do not want mammoths brought back. For one, there are arguments that mammoths died out because they were supposed to, and it's not the humanity's right to tinker with the environment. Another reason is that woolly mammoths will be hard to sustain, and we should be donating taxpayer money on more important subjects like diseases and aging.
But there are disagreements. Many say that this is a gateway to bring back other extinct species that were killed off by humans. Others state that humans have already caused much harm, and bringing back mammoths in controlled conditions will not harm the environment.
Be prepared to receive further news on this subject, as mainstream media is already crazy about bringing mammoths back. Just think about how real-life Ice Age mammoths could be in zoos in 5 years!
*PCR is a scientific process used to clone existing DNA so you can have more of it. PCR is useful for forensic science, and recently, bringing back woolly mammoths. It stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction, which is what happens in the experiment.