Building on its groundbreaking de-extinction science, Colossal Biosciences has expanded its mission to prevent endangered species from vanishing altogether. The Colossal Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm, announced the launch of its Species Reintroduction Fund in collaboration with conservation organization Re:wild, marking the first dedicated global accelerator focused exclusively on returning threatened species to their native habitats.
The initiative commits at least $250,000 annually to support comprehensive wildlife reintroduction efforts, covering every phase from initial planning and genetic assessment to post-release monitoring across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide.
First-of-Its-Kind Conservation Partnership
The Species Reintroduction Fund addresses a critical gap in conservation funding by streamlining partnerships and resources to maximize success at scale. Unlike traditional approaches that may focus on isolated aspects of species recovery, this comprehensive program supports projects for up to 12 months with grants reaching $50,000 per year.
“The Colossal Foundation is committed to making extinction a thing of the past. The best way to do that is to stop extinction before it starts,” said Ben Lamm, Colossal’s co-founder and CEO. “The Fund is one of the ways in which we can accelerate those efforts globally. Now we are doing even more to mobilize resources and expertise to restore wildlife populations on the brink of disappearing all over the globe.”
The partnership with Re:wild brings together Colossal’s cutting-edge genetic technologies with established conservation expertise. “Nature is in crisis due to human activities, and ecosystems around the world need our support to remain vibrant and resilient,” explained Wes Sechrest, Re:wild’s chief scientist and CEO. “Species reintroductions are critical in many of these places to return functional roles to natural environments—helping species, habitats, and human communities to thrive.”
Six Species Receive Inaugural Support
The fund’s first cohort targets six critically threatened species across multiple continents, each facing severe challenges including habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species, and disease. The diverse group includes the Bolson tortoise in New Mexico (partnering with Turner Endangered Species Fund), the black lion tamarin in Brazil (Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas), and the golden skiffia—already extinct in the wild—in Mexico (Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo).
Additional recipients encompass the California condor in Idaho (Nez Percé Tribe), Vietnam pheasant in Vietnam (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Viet Nature), and Ecuador’s Wampukrum harlequin toad (Centro Jambatu). Each species plays a unique ecological role, and their recovery could restore critical ecosystem functions.
The fund’s holistic approach extends beyond individual animal welfare to include habitat restoration, community engagement, and long-term management planning. Projects must demonstrate sustainable pathways for species recovery that continue well beyond the initial funding period.
De-Extinction Technologies Applied to Living Species
What distinguishes this conservation initiative is its integration of advanced genetic technologies developed through Colossal Biosciences’ de-extinction research. The company’s breakthroughs in CRISPR gene editing, genetic rescue techniques, and biobanking—originally designed to resurrect extinct dire wolves and woolly mammoths—now provide powerful tools for protecting existing wildlife.
This technological approach has already demonstrated success in conservation applications. Colossal’s work with critically endangered red wolves resulted in cloning new individuals from diverse genetic lineages, increasing the species’ founding lineages by 25 percent and significantly boosting genetic diversity within the captive population.
The company’s non-invasive cell sampling methods, developed during dire wolf research, enable genetic rescue efforts without placing additional stress on already vulnerable wild populations. These techniques allow scientists to preserve genetic material and create backup populations while animals remain in their natural habitats.
Global Scale and Future Impact
Over the next two years, the Species Reintroduction Fund plans to collaborate with hundreds of conservationists across dozens of countries, creating an unprecedented network dedicated to reversing the extinction crisis. This ambitious timeline reflects the urgency of current biodiversity loss, as the conservation community faces what researchers describe as an accelerating extinction crisis.
The fund represents a strategic evolution for Colossal Biosciences, demonstrating how de-extinction technologies can address immediate conservation challenges while continuing longer-term species resurrection efforts. Applications for the fund’s second cohort are now open to nonprofit, government, and academic organizations worldwide with innovative reintroduction strategies.
This comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation suggests that preventing extinctions may prove as revolutionary as reversing them, potentially saving countless species before they reach the point of no return.
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