From Hobbits to… Huge Birds? Peter Jackson's Latest Quest is Peak 'Mad Scientist'
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Peter Jackson's ditched the Shire for… a giant bird project? Teaming up with a biotech company, he's trying to resurrect the extinct South Island Giant Moa, which is either brilliant or utterly mad, depending on how much you like feathers and ecological chaos.
Right, so you know Peter Jackson, the bloke who brought Middle-earth to life? Turns out he's got a new obsession, and it's less about wizards and more about… well, resurrecting giant extinct birds. Specifically, the South Island Giant Moa. Yeah, *that* Moa – the flightless feathered behemoth that went the way of the dodo about 600 years ago. Fair dinkum. (Originally reported by IGN South Africa, check it out here)
Jackson's teaming up with Colossal Biosciences, the same mob trying to bring back the dire wolf (though some reckon they just made fancy grey wolves – we'll see, eh?). This isn’t just some passing fancy; Jackson's put his money where his mouth is, investing in Colossal to make this whole Jurassic Park-but-with-feathers dream a reality. And honestly, if anyone can pull it off, it's the guy who made orcs seem believable.
But why the Moa? According to Jackson, it's deeply tied to New Zealand's DNA, especially for the Māori people. Apparently, the Moa was a massive food source that literally changed the Polynesian settlers into Māori – which then lead to the Moa's extinction. So, a bit of poetic justice in bringing 'em back, isn't it? The Ngāi Tahu Research Centre are involved too, focusing on ecological restoration. It’s not just about bringing back a big bird; it’s about healing a historical… ecological wound? If that’s not the right word, it's close enough.
Colossal's already started sequencing the genomes of all nine Moa species (yes, there were *nine*!), starting with the big daddy of them all, the South Island Giant Moa. They're hunting down ancient DNA like it's the One Ring, and apparently Jackson himself is on a bone-collecting mission. The more bones, the better the genome, apparently. He's got 400 bones so far! That's a lot of bird skeletons, mate. That's also more bones than I have!
Now, let's be real – bringing back extinct animals sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi flick. Colossal's CEO, Ben Lamm, reckons the Moa could inspire a new generation to get into science and conservation, much like *Jurassic World*. A 13-foot-tall, wingless bird is close as humanity has ever gotten to coexisting with a dinosaur. But will it actually work? Jackson's pretty confident, especially since Colossal's making progress with the dodo. Though, it's still a bloody long shot, isn't it?
Still, you've gotta admire the ambition. And hey, if they manage to pull it off, imagine the possibilities! Moa-themed theme parks? Moa-riding competitions? Okay, maybe not the last one. But even if it's just a scientific achievement, it'd be pretty bonkers, wouldn't it? It makes one wonder, though, if spending a squillion dollars to resurrect giant birds is the *best* way to help animals, species, and ecological systems today. Maybe it's a proof of concept for a future, better world? Or maybe someone just wanted their own giant, feathery pet. Whatever the reason, it's one hell of a story, I reckon.
Tags: Peter Jackson, Extinct Animals, Moa, Colossal Biosciences, De-extinction
Original article: IGN South Africa