The agreement comes approximately 10 months after the company Colossal Biosciences announced its plans to revive the extinct species. Under the leadership of Professor Beth Shapiro, a team of biotechnologists successfully sequenced the DNA of the dodo.

“The dodo, closely associated with Mauritius, is unfortunately also a symbol of the role humanity played in its extinction. It also symbolizes efforts to prevent species extinction,” said Vikash Tatayah, Director of Conservation at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.

“We are very grateful for Colossal’s technologies and the promise to restore this iconic species, extinct in the 17th century, to its native environment,” he added.

The dodo is an extinct species of large bird from the pigeon family and was endemic to the island of Mauritius. It is the most frequently mentioned extinct animal in history and culture, although very little is known about its life in the wild.

The species became extinct due to the hunting of the bird by human settlers on the island—these birds were large but not very fearful—and the plundering of nests by introduced pigs.

In popular culture, the dodo has become a symbol of extinction. In English, there is a saying, “dead as a dodo,” meaning something irreversibly lost.

The agreement between Colossal Biosciences and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation also includes efforts to save the pink pigeon. There are about 500 of them remaining in Mauritius, but the species is endangered due to a lack of genetic diversity.