# Bringing back extinct animals **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 29, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480 "2026-05-29T19:12:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/1 "2026-05-29T19:12:19Z")
Let us say you have the power- and the desire- to bring back a few extinct animals. BUT you dont want it to be obvious- no Wooly Mammoths. The obvious two are the Ivory Billed Woodpecker and the Thylacine- both of which are still rumored to be extant- with possible sighting, etc. aka Lazarus species. So, pick another species or two- some species that people have heard of, but that appearing again would only cause mild surprise and even cries of happiness, not out and out disbelief- “They must be cloned!!” ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/2 "2026-05-29T19:17:21Z")
I’d go for a [moa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa), they could plausibly still exist in one of the remote valleys in Fiordland, though I guess it’s less realistic that one of the giant moas could have survived undetected, so I’d go for one of the smaller ones. Just a lawn moa. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/3 "2026-05-29T19:18:31Z")
I really can’t think of any that couldn’t cause adverse effects on the ecosystem. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/4 "2026-05-29T19:19:57Z")
The Carolina parakeet ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/5 "2026-05-29T19:31:25Z")
I’d bring back the Golden Toad (extinct 2019) and the Western Black Rhinoceros (extinct 2011) because they are both cool-looking animals. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/6 "2026-05-29T19:48:03Z")
The **[great auk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_auk)**, or proper penguin. The **[megalodon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon)**. The **[paradise parrot](https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/04/23/meet-the-dazzling-paradise-parrotaustralias-only-extinct-bird/)**. The **[carolina parakeet](https://www.extinctanimals.org/carolina-parakeet.htm)**. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/7 "2026-05-29T20:01:27Z")
Perhaps the Dodo bird. It was not afraid of humans so easily hunted to extinction. Also humans introduced wild pigs and rats to their island that contributed to their extinction. They sound like docile turkeys and grew to over 30 lbs. And I’ll just bet they taste like chicken, but not the Bristol variety. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/8 "2026-05-29T20:06:03Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > I guess it’s less realistic that one of the giant moas could have survived undetected, so I’d go for one of the smaller ones. Just a lawn moa. Ooofff, what a delightful reach for a far-fetched pun. Respect! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/9 "2026-05-29T20:10:23Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The **[megalodon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon)**. I think that one violates the not “obvious” part. I think people would notice that one (as in never swim in the ocean ever again). For me: - [Passenger Pigeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_pigeon) ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/10 "2026-05-29T20:18:30Z")
I once saw a trailer for a **[documentary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon_(2002_film))** that claimed the megalodons had survived in the dephts of a “mirror” ocean, I would ~~claim~~ hope that some weirdo comes up with a similar explanation and that it gains traction in a scientific social media site like Xitter. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/11 "2026-05-29T21:00:19Z")
The [aurochs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs) is too obvious, so I’ll probably go with the[bubal hartebeest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubal_hartebeest). They had character. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/12 "2026-05-29T21:27:30Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Just a lawn moa. Ow. Go to your room. But yeah the The **bush moa** _Anomalopteryx didiformis_ was about the size of a turkey, and could have hid out. > [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > The Carolina parakeet They- like the Passenger Pigeon- needed to live in vast colonies to breed- sadly. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I really can’t think of any that couldn’t cause adverse effects on the ecosystem. Neither or my two examples would do so, nor would one of the smaller moas. Nor would- > [@dolphinboy](#): > > I’d bring back the Golden Toad (extinct 2019) and the Western Black Rhinoceros (extinct 2011) because they are both cool-looking animals. The toad is a good choice and that Rhino was “only” a subspecies. > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The **[paradise parrot](https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/04/23/meet-the-dazzling-paradise-parrotaustralias-only-extinct-bird/)**. Good choice. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Passenger Pigeon You’d need many thousands and thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands. They tried to rescue the species- rather late of course- but found they wouldnt breed except in huge flocks. People would have spotted them quite often. > [@Alessan](#): > > so I’ll probably go with the[bubal hartebeest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubal_hartebeest). They had character. Another subspecies, so a good choice- but that area isnt very safe for large edible animals. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/13 "2026-05-29T21:49:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@dolphinboy](#): > > > > I’d bring back the Golden Toad (extinct 2019) and the Western Black Rhinoceros (extinct 2011) because they are both cool-looking animals. > > The toad is a good choice and that Rhino was “only” a subspecies. Okay then instead of the Rhino I would bring back the Splendid Poison Frog (extinct: 2020). I guess I have a thing about frogs. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/14 "2026-05-29T22:42:04Z")
The huia. > **[Huia | New Zealand Birds Online](https://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/huia)** > > An extinct large black songbird with a glossy green-blue metallic sheen, long black tail feathers with white-tips, orange wattles that grew from the base of the bill, and long legs. Males had a robust pale ivory tapering bill grading to bluish-grey... ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/15 "2026-05-30T01:10:23Z")
No love for [Labrador ducks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_duck) (extinct 1878) or [heath hens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_hen) (extinct 1932)? [Lots of good birds no longer out there](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extinct_bird_species_since_1500#Extinct_bird_species). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/16 "2026-05-30T03:22:56Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Okay then instead of the Rhino I would bring back the Splendid Poison Frog (extinct: 2020). I guess I have a thing about frogs. I can buy that- but no licking those frogs, okay? 🤪 🙀 > [@GuanoLad](#): > > The huia. Good one. > [@SCAdian](#): > > No love for [Labrador ducks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_duck) (extinct 1878) or [heath hens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_hen) (extinct 1932)? More decent choices, but since we didnt know why the duck went extinct, that could be problematic. The Heath Hen at least had a good ending- it’s extinction led to widespread conservation efforts for many other species. The Heath Hen is also a subspecies, so it’s extinction could be reverse engineered. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/17 "2026-05-30T13:17:31Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Perhaps the Dodo bird. It was not afraid of humans so easily hunted to extinction. I would bring back the Dodo, even if people noticed, because there is still a chance to save the Calveria tree (_Sideroxylon grandiflorum_, formerly _Calvaria major_), a very long-living species. There was an hypothesis in the 1970s that Calveria depended _entirely_ on the Dodo to germinate-- the Dodo ate the very hard nuts it produces, the way some birds eat small stones to aid digestion, and in symbiosis, this helped the very hard nuts to crack, so they could sprout. The picture in the 70s was that the Calvaria was disappearing as there appeared to be no saplings, and few trees from after the time the Dodo officially disappeared. Since the 70s, it’s been found that some tortoises eat the seeds, and then they can sprout, sometimes successfully-- albeit, not at the rate they did when the Dodo was alive-- and invasive species are crowding out the Calvaria. The Calvaria is on the “critically endangered” list, heading toward extinction. Bringing back the Dodo could save the Calvaria, as it could begin sprouting in much greater numbers. The Dodo might not only cause the Calvaria to thrive by being able to compete with the growth of invasive species, the Dodo might also be able to _eat_ some of the invasive species. It will initially look for the endemic species it evolved eating, but as they will be in short supply, it will probably sample the invasive species, and might find some of them digestible. But it helps native species besides the Calvaria germinate, so it will help those others compete with the invaders as well, so there will be greater push against the invasive species. There is small intervention by people to help remove some of the invasive species in part, as many of the most aggressive ones can be, and are, used as food for people. Those plants and animals used for food are harvested in the wild, not cultivated, because they are so aggressive, there’s no need to cultivate. Unfortunately, there’s not much possibility of export, because of laws about exporting food, but Mauritius has a good tourist industry, and I think, reintroduction of the Dodo would increase it, increasing the demand _on the island_ for these species as food. Mauritius Island, where the Calvaria lives, and the Dodo would be reintroduced, is the largest island of the [(independent) Republic of Mauritius](https://pro-mauritius.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/map_1.jpg), and is about 3/4 the size of Rhode Island. There are outlying islands the Dodo could get to with modern transportation, footbridges, etc., that were not previously available. Moreover, the residents and government of Mauritius have enthusiastically endorsed the reintroduction of the Dodo, and pledged cooperation, which is a huge plus. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/18 "2026-05-30T14:10:33Z")
I would bring back the habitat required to maintain a healthy population. Without that all these species are headed for extinction again. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/19 "2026-05-30T15:27:19Z")
I endorse this return. And also, i hope the dodo would be farmed for meat elsewhere. The way to make it not look cloned might be to discover a population someplace else, presumably transported by some sailors and then abandoned to naturalize. It’d have to be some other island without predators, i guess. Can i use the same powers to save some of the endangered species of whale? Or do i just get to create a small number, and then they die of the same stuff currently killing whales? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480/20 "2026-05-30T15:28:37Z")
I’d really like to bring back the miniature Sicilian elephant, but i think that would be a lot harder to do plausibly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-back-extinct-animals/1030480.md?page=2)