From woolly mice to woolly mammoths

Scientists bring back mammoths - 31st March 2025

An unusual company in the US has big plans. They hope to return woolly mammoths to Earth. The woolly mammoth looks like an elephant with hair. The last mammoths died 4,000 years ago.

The name of the company is Colossal Biosciences. Their project uses science and technology.

Now, it's possible to find woolly mammoths in the ice. The company's scientists take some genes from those dead mammoths. They compare their genes with Asian elephants. They look at the differences. For example, they find the genes for long hair.

Scientists at Colossal Biosciences use mice. They can make the mice hairy. The scientists can change the hair colour too.

Ben Lamm, from Colossal Biosciences, is happy. He says his company can produce its first mammoth by 2028. It's a way of protecting the Earth's animals, he says. His team can stop animals dying out.

Other scientists disagree. They say this animal won't be a mammoth. It'll just be a hairy elephant.