7 Extinct Animals That Could Actually Come Back 

Which extinct animal would you like to see make a return?

I would love to see Steller’s Sea Cow, just the idea of a giant manatee living in the arctic seems really cool

I am here to clear up a few things about the dodo: First, The dodo was not really that dumb for a bird, in fact it seems that it actually was fairly intellegent. Second, Humans alone did not just wipe it out by bonking them or eating them. People often described their food as unruly or disgusting, but it was rather the dogs, cats, and rats introduced onto their island that killed and ate their eggs. With an already slightly lower reproduction rate, the dodo was unable to keep up with their losses from natural disasters that would occur.

They said they were going to bring the Woolly mammoth back 10 years ago. It’s been 10 years and still no Woolly Mammoth.

It always amazes me to listen to Forrest and hear that moment when he slows his talking because he can feel his accent coming out and he wants to control it. It'd be really interesting to hear him talking unmasked and letting his accent flow, sort of like me when I get around southern people and suddenly my Mississippi accent comes out in force.

Forrest just makes science and animal history just so much more interesting. He explains it like a normal person and watch out, we just might learn something that we didn’t know about. Extinct or Alive needs to come back too!

I’d like to see genetic diversity added back into the cheetah population, and other animals on the brink of extinction, using some of the deextinction tech. But also the THYLACINE! ❤

Awesome video Forrest. Thank you for doing what you do.

Busy watching your documentary about sevengills filmed in my backyard, so to speak. I still find it amazing that there is so much diversity around the Cape. Watching you catch that ragged tooth shark from the beach sent chills down my spine. Having dived in some of the areas that you visited and seeing the kelp filmed forrest on film was amazing. Great documentary.👍❤

Fantastic episode Forrest! I have a ton of other great candidates. Colossal has been very clear that they need three things to be able to de-extinct a species: 1.) A close living relative which shares a similar genome (I'm guessing here, but I would say it would have to share 80-85% of the same DNA for it to be possible). 2.) Well preserved specimens of the extinct species that they can get observable/recordable DNA from. 3.) Most importantly, a suitable ecosystem/habitat and purpose for existing. With those factors, my list stands at: #1.) Caribbean Monk Seal Extinction: 1950's. Closest living relative: Hawaiian Monk Seal This is the biggest no brainer, in my opinion. The Caribbean Monk Seal is an excellent candidate. It went extinct in our lifetime, which means specimens and DNA will be plentiful. There are no monk seals in the North or South American continents anymore (Hawaii is thousands of miles away). They were exclusively slaughtered by humans and there's an extremely close living relative. Also the Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals are not doing well at all. Any research into more biodiversity for these species is greatly needed. Seals play an extremely important role in the nutrient circulation of our seas. They are also an extremely charismatic species and humans have a history of husbandry with them. I think they need to be priority #1 moving forward. #2.) Falkland Islands Wolf Extinction: 1870's. Closest living relative: Maned Wolf This is another no brainer, in my opinion. Exterminated in the past 150 years exclusively by humans, the Falkland Islands remain nearly as barren as they were when the wolves roamed the islands in significant numbers. They can fit right back into their habitat (albeit in smaller numbers). There has already been research into their genome and it's known they are closely related to the Maned Wolf of South America and another species that went extinct around 500 years ago on the mainland continent. They would be a perfect case study of reintroduction of an apex canid-type creature into their old environment. If the wolves of Yellowstone are any indication, it will probably be a massive success. #3.) Woolly Rhinoceros Extinction: Approx. 10,000 years ago. Closest living relative: Sumatran Rhinoceros In general, I would think an animal this old would be impossible. But everything that stands for the Woolly Mammoth project stands for the Woolly Rhino. It has a purpose and a proposed habitat in trying to remake the Mammoth Steppe. It has a close living relative: the Sumatran Rhino. And any research that goes into this can help ALL rhino species that are struggling, particularly the three in Southeast Asia. #4.) Great Auk Extinction: 1840's. Closest living relative: Razorbill The Great Auk was exterminated brutally by humans approximately 180 years ago. Their habitat still exists (all their cousins still roost their old nesting sites). And they were a unique species in the Northern Hemisphere. There are numerous specimens available in order to capture DNA and a close living relative: the Razorbill. They are an icon of extinction and they deserve another chance to roam the seas again. #5.) Rodrigues Solitaire Extinction: 1770's. Closest Living Relative: The Nicobar Pigeon If you're going to bring back the Dodo, you might as well bring back its closest relative that lived into modern times! The Solitaire is a fantastic looking bird that was unfairly exterminated by feral rats, cats, and snakes brought by humans. The groundwork is already done for the Dodo. A few thousand gene switches and we have another necessary species! Honorable mentions: Carolina Parakeet, Bluebuck, Japanese Wolf, Moa, Elephant Bird, Haast's Eagle.

To be able to say something that’s so scientific and technical in a “dumbed down” and simple way just shows how knowledgeable this guy really is

This topic is fascinating! I would love to see you do a video on Colossal Bio and what they are up to, and wo they are working with to make some of this happen. A behind the scenes tour would be awesome!

Keep this stuff coming! Love to hear about this kind of work. Let’s get this some traction and get this trip funded!

I wrote a paper in high school about de-extinction and while it absolutely fascinated me, at the time (nearly 10 years ago) it seemed highly unlikely in my opinion. Now I'm very glad to see that I was wrong and can't wait to see these animals brought back and see their ecosystems restored!

Bringing back the Thylacine to rebuild our Tassie ecosystem would be amazing to see. I will without a doubt visit Tassie to see one in the flesh. Amazingly important work is being done on the cutting edge in this field.

Love this guys videos to the core pls make more

Content is getting better!

This kind of science really is reminiscent of Jurassic Park,to see a Wooly Mammoth 🦣 just walking around after all those year's being extinct is mind blowing 🤯

I really hope they succeed man. Watching the videos of Benjamin and the fact that he passed just cause someone forgot and left him out in the cold just sucks. Would love to see all these creatures again one day 👍

You're an amazing human with a huge ❤ heart!!!! Wishing you an amazing 2024!!!! Good Luck !! Thank you for being my legs since I haven't been able to walk since I was 15yrs old.. I like watching all your videos, they help me cope with my depression!! Thank you again for helping me explore the world with you !!!!!

I’ve watched some of your vids lord I love the investment of your life into anything and everything about animals keep rocking it on

I’d like to see the return of Dire Wolves, Mammoths and massive Cave Bear (any mega-fauna really)… I love the ideas and science of bringing back animals that are recently extinct and replenishing endangered species.

this is so Fantastic And Great i love you videos and always hook me in ur energy reminds me of Sir David Attenborough

Love these vids

I just found your channel a couple days ago and I gotta say I have never been so delighted to see that someone created a RU-vid channel. I first heard of you through JRE and was instantly inspired and interested in what you were doing. Please keep up the great work. Thank you for all you do.

Love this video! As a geneticist I think it’s super cool they are carrying out this research. One point to make however, is that they aren’t exactly brining the animal back. Instead, they are brining back proxies of that animal with phenotypic traits similar to the animal they are bringing back. For example, using the mammoth that coalossal aims to bring back, they aren’t directly breeding a pure wooly mammoth. Rather, they aim to engineer viable genes from the wooly mammoth and incorporate them into a proxy species, which is the Indian elephant. Thus, the team at coalossal are amalgamating genomes together to create animals that resemble their extinct counterparts.

the way you present this is A+ top notch

Keep up with these kind of videos forest. I love these

I wrote a English assignment about colossal and my English teacher laughed at me well see who’s laughing when there is a mammoth on the news

Great video Forrest! Keep up the good work mate.

This video was amazing, please make more of these talk over informative videos

Thanks for explaining things in a way that I can understand

Great work sir!! Keep it up!! Someday we are going to have to get you up here for some adventures onboard with us!

I love your shows and your true excitement for this cloning to work. You also care deeply about all animals ❤️. For that I am so grateful. We need millions like you and then we'd stop trophy hunting 😢😢

Love this channel miss your shows

Love this❣ The Tasmanian Tiger is a favorite for me, too. I've watched all the expedition documentaries and can almost believe some still exist, but with not much genetic diversity. I'd like to know how the efforts to add genetic diversity to Tasmanian Devils is doing. Supposedly some were brought from a different part of Tasmania to add diversity, but I've never heard or seen anything since. While I'm at it, I wonder if there are any efforts to bring back some of the large Australian marsupials that were wiped out by the first humans who voyaged there---like the giant Ground Sloth, etc. I loved your show and watched every episode and was so exited when you found species thought to be extinct and sad when you didn't. Are you going to do any more of those expeditions? Thank you for all of it!

Please keep bringing the longer form content, it’s incredible!

You could do a mass burst of 5000 passenger pigeons, get the genetics from the many taxidermy specimens, get a large facility, maybe 200-500 pigeons, start fertilizing them with passenger cloned cells and repeat until you build up population mass. The fact their birds should make production fairly fast. Hopefully.

Amazing youre great forrest such a inspiration

The passenger pigeon is probably the most important one to bring back because of its ability to spread different seeds to large areas

OMGOSH Forrest this is a brilliant video, WOW so interesting, i would love to see a woolly mammoth and thylacine , i have been following you for years , thank you ever so much for boots on the ground, getting out there in our wild life ,. Absolutely brilliant videos you make , katie wales uk 👍😊❤❤

As a South Dakotaen I would live to see a giant bison

Loved the jenga explanation….PERFECT !!!

It's not only animals suffering from extinction, here in South Africa, especially the Cape with fynbos, the flora is very localized and what remains is very endangered. I've seen plants that have only ever been found in one area, nowhere else, and most people don't even know about how endangered they are. I find it really distressing.

I think the loss of the passenger pigeon is also linked to the decline to a specific tree in North America, IIRC white oak and that is also putting the production of casks for alcohol to give them their brand flavour.

Are you doing a 3rd season of Extinct or Alive? I love that show.

these videos are awesome

I used to always watch you every Day but I don’t have cable anymore but I was scrolling on RU-vid shorts and I saw your channel then i literally just sub as soon as sawl you

One animal I would love to bring back would be caspian tiger. They are such beautiful animals with all the white.

Your knowledge and passion for discovery and restoration give me so much hope and wonder!! If I was forced to choose one on that list, it would have to be Thylacine

We want part 2 if you can do it and extinct or alive season 3 big fan btw(hello from bosnia)❤

Even though ive heard you say most of this on the wild times, this video was awesome

The north American cheetah would be super cool, def a predator that would help keep balance on the elk, deer etc

I'm always down for repairing mistakes. Let's hope that the people repairing don't make worse ones.

Forrest. You are seriously the coolest person alive right now!

I would love to see the Tasmanian Tiger! I first learned about it on your show and I thought it was sooo cool!❤❤

When are you going to make extinct or alive episode's again i loved them and im still watching them pls let us know when your gonna make more

I’m somewhat surprised the Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) wasn’t listed so that’s my vote. It’s closest living relative is the Fallow Deer (Dama) I assume the big problem would be getting studiable DNA from the Irish Elk

Just came across this video and your channel - saving this video. I am a substitute teacher and the curriculum in our district for science is based around education of animals. I can’t wait to share this information with the students.

Jeez man I've always watched and loved your stuff but this spoke to me especiallythe end

As a hunter it's sad to see that at one point man couldn't see the problems hunting with no regulations would have or not even thinking about it I would love to see some of these animals cloned and living again but some that went extinct with no help by man I would say is just nature love your work and look forward to more in the future thanks for the video

My favorite would be the Tasmanian tiger

Very cool! I think I'm most excited about the wooly mammoth!

I couldn’t stop tearing up at the passenger pigeon section

Elephants are my favorite land animals, they r such graceful intelligent emotional animals. The idea that wholly mammoths may be brought back in my life time would be AMAZING. But I think the fact they r trying to bring back animals that r extinct while other animals that r currently endangered like wild elephants is kinda sad. Let's save what we have left first.

What are the implications of making the Taiga back into a savannah? Would that not do more harm to animals that have already adapted to it?

I’d love to see all of the species you spoke about in the video come back. It would be amazing. If I had to pick just one, it would be the Tasmanian tiger.

Forrest is underappreciated, certified legend.

Forrest needs to make a go fund me page for finding a thylacine in papua new guinea.. will take alot of funding but it needs to be done.

Being from Cape Town, I would love to see the Dodo back in this beautiful landscape. 👍❤

You NEED to make more please

Imagine T-Rex being brought back

Any chance we’ll see aurochs?

The Channel Islands are so beautiful! I live in SB and look at them everyday. They are so unique. I got to fly over them in a helicopter with the door off. It was breathtaking. I want to camp there so bad. Love your passion for animals and nature Forrest, so interesting.

Forest, did you mention that there's going to be a Season 3 of Extinct or Alive. That is my second favorite show on Animal Planet! That would be so awesome if it returns for an all new season! If it's true, could you please please please do an expedition on the Megatherium and the Falkland Islands Wolf? And perhaps include species you've already searched for but strongly believe are still alive such as the Zanzibar Leopard and of course the Tasmanian Tiger.

Hi Forrest, love watching you. You mentioned bringing back the giant Bison, if they do that don't they also have to bring back their predator , the saber toothed tiger.

I’ve seen this guy at the Joe Rogan podcast a few times and I’m so glad I discovered his RU-vid channel. So interesting I’m a big fan.

Nice vid very interesting

99 percent of Aliens prefer Earth 🌎

Imagine if they bring back a Megalodon 🤣💀

A giant cat that hunted giant bison? I guess there are some animals that im glad I won't be running into. Other than the pigeon, the odds you gave to potentially reintroduce formerly extinct animals into the wild are pretty encouraging. I like your passion for nature and her organisms; its this enthusiasm that led me to subscribe. I hope you do end up rediscovering that mountain goat, best of luck to you!

Cool combos 👏

I don’t want to be six degrees colder.

I've been hearing the same BS for over 50 years. Smh

So many species! Steller Sea Cow, Great Auk, Golden Toad, Elephant Bird/Moa, the list goes on! It’s humbling to actually look into extinction and see how many species have been lost to obviously over hunting, or habitat loss. If we can reverse even a few, to sustainable populations, it will be amazing.

Great video

“Chicken lays a really big egg”…. Ouch!!!😂😢

I can't believe he missed the Auroch! It's my favourite "de-extinction" program going on, though it's more selective breeding I believe. Plus there is a lot of effort being put into it, so it should rank pretty high.

I do think that Tasmania Tiger (Thylacine) should be priority number one on bring it back. Hunters in the early 1920s drove this animal to extinction. We do owe this animal another chance back to life and I hope can bring it back someday.

Can you do a video about your camera setup and what you take on these expeditions

Omg i just seen u on a episode of naked and afraid from back in the day

As a Mauritian, I'll be exhilarated if I saw a living, breathing dodo in my lifetime

I need an extinct or alive S3 that show was so good

Carribean monk seal seems like one I’d like to see.

Fascinating and a great deal of food for thought.

This is great ❤❤❤

A very personal choice, but I would love to see the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker come back. I’m from Arkansas and I remember when the sightings happened back when I was a kid, and the allure of the Ivory-Bill has been with me ever since.

I'm close to finishing my geology degree, and have had lots of time hiking and living in harsh environments. I would love to join your search in Tasmania for Thylacines.

I would love to see a Paraceratherium. The sheer size of them I’m sure was quite the sight. Also, any kind of giant sea life would be really cool. Always been a fan of sea creatures and giant sea monsters, so these would be a very close second to that.

Awesome explanation from an expert (Obviosly)