Colossal Biosciences Advances Bluebuck De-Extinction Effort: What It Means for Conservation
On April 30, 2026, the team at Colossal Biosciences announced the addition of the bluebuck antelope as the sixth species in its growing de-extinction portfolio. Here's what the company's ambitious work could mean for conservation.
What Colossal Biosciences' Project Bluebuck Has Accomplished
In the year 1800, the bluebuck antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) went extinct due to human activities. Now, the team at Colossal Biosciences has achieved several key breakthroughs toward bringing the species back to life. As a press release on their work detailed, the bluebuck project began in 2024.
The company's scientists have sequenced DNA from a bluebuck specimen and very closely studied its genetic blueprint. They created stem cells from the animal's closest living relative, the roan antelope, and are now editing them to include bluebuck traits like the extinct animal's bluish fur and distinct face pattern. The eventual goal of Colossal Biosciences' exciting work is to help produce bluebuck offspring using roan antelopes as surrogates. The company shared a fascinating video about its efforts.
Before it went extinct, the bluebuck stood at approximately four feet tall, and it had horns that reached nearly two feet. Colossal Biosciences Co-Founder and CEO Ben Lamm spoke about the company's accomplishments and how the project's work can be used to help preserve other antelope species.
"The bluebuck represents a pivotal step forward for Colossal and conservation, marking
our first major focus on antelope conservation-one we can now pursue because of
major developments with the necessary technologies. The bluebuck sits within the bovid family, allowing us to extend our mammalian work into a new group of animals with different reproductive biology, size, and gestation timelines. Every reproductive technology, genome editing protocol, and conservation tool we develop through this effort is designed to scale-directly benefiting the 29 antelope species currently at risk. By focusing on the
bluebuck, we're not only working to restore a lost species, but also building solutions
that can help protect entire ecosystems."
He went on to explain that this effort is only one step in the company's efforts at species de-extinction and preservation. Colossal Biosciences has previously announced similar efforts with five other species: the woolly mammoth, dodo, thylacine, moa, and dire wolf. Lamm also detailed the company's commitment to responsible repopulation efforts alongside its partner, Advanced Conservation Strategies.
"We recognize that bringing back the bluebuck is just the first step in a much longer, strategic journey. Working with Josh Donlan and ACS allows us to proactively address the complex ecological, ethical, and regulatory considerations of reintroduction long before any animals are ready for release. We're committed to ensuring this project meets the highest standards of scientific rigor and regulatory compliance throughout the entire process."
The company's Chief Science Officer, Dr. Beth Shapiro, explained why the bluebuck was a good candidate for de-extinction at this time. "African antelopes have long been neglected in global conservation. While other megafauna benefit from advanced reproductive technologies and extensive genomic research, antelopes-despite being among the most diverse and rapidly declining large mammals on Earth-have been left behind. The bluebuck de-extinction project changes that. We're bringing back a species that played a vital role in its ecosystem, and building the scientific foundation for antelope conservation before more of its relatives are lost."
In addition to working toward bringing the bluebuck back, Colossal Biosciences achieved something that can also help living antelope species. They developed a method to extract eggs from living antelopes without harming them, which was previously impossible. The company's Chief Animal Officer, Matt James, explained the significance of that innovation.
"The specialized ovum pickup protocols we've developed for antelopes are game-changers for conservation breeding. Previously, collecting viable oocytes from wild bovid species was nearly impossible and lacked scalability, limiting the ability to develop conservation technologies to support dwindling antelope populations. These new techniques dramatically expand our conservation toolkit and are exactly the kind of technological spillover we aim for in our de-extinction work."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 5:00 AM.