U.S. company Colossal Biosciences announced the launch of a project to resurrect the dodo bird, according to the official website of Colossal Biosciences.

The company plans to find the closest relative of the dodo and use DNA editing to turn it into an extinct bird. For the dodo, the closest relative is the Nicobar pigeon.

Dodos (or Mauritian dodos) used to live on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean until they were exterminated by man more than three centuries ago. The birds weighed up to 20 kilograms and could not fly, making them easy prey for people who passed by the island. In addition, the birds were completely unafraid of humans, which also contributed to their extinction.

According to the company, the resurrection of the dodo will be a symbol of a whole new, respectful attitude toward the living world. Scientists are also working on the resurrection of the mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger. The genomes of all three resurrection candidates at Colossal Biosciences have already been sequenced.