The endangered species list may change under the Trump administration.
After biotechnology and genetic engineering company Colossal Biosciences said it successfully created three dire wolf puppies earlier this week, the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum shared his thoughts on resurrecting other extinct animals — and is reconsidering the endangered species list.
On Monday, April 7, the former North Dakota governor applauded the efforts of the gene-editing technology on X.
“The Department of the Interior is excited about the potential of ‘de-extinction’ technology and how it may serve broader purposes beyond the recovery of lost species, including strengthening biodiversity protection efforts and helping endangered or at-risk species,” read the post.
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According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there are over 1,300 species listed as endangered or threatened to become extinct in the U.S. under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Burgum, who compared the list to “Hotel California,” stating, “Once a species enters, they never leave,” wants to celebrate the removal of animals from the list with genetic engineering technology, adding that “the status quo is focused on regulation more than innovation.”
“The only thing we’d like to see go extinct is the need for an endangered species list to exist,” Burgum wrote. “We need to continue improving recovery efforts to make that a reality, and the marvel of ‘de-extinction’ technology can help forge a future where populations are never at risk.”
The post continued, “Since the dawn of our nation, it has been innovation – not regulation – that has spawned American greatness. The revival of the Dire Wolf heralds the advent of a thrilling new era of scientific wonder, showcasing how the concept of ‘de-extinction’ can serve as a bedrock for modern species conservation.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is responsible for “recovering and conserving our nation’s imperiled species,” categorizes species into five categories: endangered, threatened, endangered based on similarity of appearance to an existing listed species, threatened based on similarity of appearance to an existing listed species, essential experimental population, and nonessential experimental population.
Some animals on the endangered species list include cheetahs, lemurs, marine otters, black rhinoceroses, blue whales, polar bears and several others.
In his post, Burgum added that “breakthroughs of this nature” have the potential to inspire scientists to push the limits of what’s possible. “The Department of the Interior looks forward to a vibrant future full of innovation that advances core missions such as wildlife conservation,” the post concluded.
The post was published the same day that TIME shared details of Colossal’s de-extinction project.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm explained in a statement.
“It was once said, ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,’ “ Lamm continued. “Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
Colossal previously created a “woolly mouse,” with the ultimate goal of reanimating the woolly mammoth. The firm is working to “de-extinct” other extinct animals, including the Dodo and the Tasmanian tiger.
Read the original article on People
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