Revive & Restore is proud to be featured in the groundbreaking documentary series “The Resurrection Quest,” premiering worldwide this weekend on March 15. The series highlights our pioneering work with the Great Passenger Pigeon Comeback and the broader implications of de-extinction technology for science, society, and wildlife conservation.
WATCH THE SERIES NOW:
EPISODE 1, LOSS
EPISODE 2, BIRTH
EPISODE 3, LIFE
EPISODE 4, REBIRTH
The Great Passenger Pigeon Comeback
One of the last passenger pigeons. Photographer: J. G. Hubbard circa 1896
The drastic and rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon – once the world’s most abundant bird – catalyzed the modern conservation movement. Today, over a century later, a new conservation revolution is bringing it back.
In 1860, passenger pigeons were the most abundant bird on earth, numbering an astonishing 3-5 billion. By 1902, the last wild pigeon was killed, serving as a wake-up call to change western civilization’s relationship with nature and teaching us that no species is inexhaustible. Now, we’re working toward a new beginning – with plans to hatch the first new pigeons by the 2030s.
Our Work in the Spotlight
“The Resurrection Quest” takes viewers behind the scenes of de-extinction science including our passenger pigeon program, which began in 2012 with a clear vision: to recreate this species would demonstrate the potential of genomic intervention for de-extinction and conservation success while helping to restore the ecology of North America’s eastern forests.
The new documentary series examines how the Great Passenger Pigeon Comeback integrates cutting-edge genomic technology with traditional conservation approaches. While we can’t resurrect the passenger pigeon itself, the gene sequences of long-dead museum specimens hold the key to restoring its ecological legacy vicariously through its closest living relative, the North American band-tailed pigeon.
Beyond “De-extinction”: Nuance in Resurrection Science
The documentary’s title, “The Resurrection Quest,” touches on an important ongoing debate within conservation biotechnology. At Revive & Restore, we recognize that terms like “de-extinction” and “resurrection” can sometimes oversimplify the complex biological reality of our work.
True resurrection—bringing back the exact same individuals or genetically identical species that went extinct—is not possible with current technology. What we’re actually creating is a modern ecological proxy: a living organism that carries key genetic traits and behaviors of the extinct species, designed to fulfill similar ecological functions.
With the passenger pigeon project, we’re not claiming to recreate the exact birds that darkened American skies with its sheer number a century ago. Rather, we’re using genomic insights from preserved specimens to guide the genetic modification of band-tailed pigeons (the passenger pigeon’s closest living relative), creating birds that can restore the ecological benefits the passenger pigeon once provided to forest ecosystems.
Despite the documentary’s title, the projects that the series highlights demonstrate that while we can’t literally “resurrect” extinct species, we can use their genetic legacy to restore lost ecological relationships and functions—perhaps the most meaningful form of resurrection possible.
The Science Behind De-Extinction and the Promise of Restoration
By pushing the fields of genomics, gene-editing, and reproductive technologies further than ever before with new cutting edge science, we aim to recreate new passenger pigeons in the short term, by the 2030s, for breeding and continued research in controlled facilities. Our funded work to advance induced pluripotent stem cells for avian conservation and passenger pigeon de-extinction features in the series, and could be revolutionary for passenger pigeon de-extinction and avian conservation.
Beyond the science in the lab that viewers will see in the film, Revive & Restore has been researching the ecology of passenger pigeons for over a decade, culminating in the launch of a “grand forest experiment” that will provide vital foundational science for planning an effective restoration strategy, as well as improve forest management practices until such time that de-extinct pigeon flocks are big enough to resume the job.
While we are working to rapidly recreate the first birds, the breeding process will take many years before repopulation in the wild can begin. The ensuing long-term restoration in the wild will only be achievable with partnerships with many stakeholders, larger traditional conservation organizations/agencies, and community involvement. The road forward to restoration is a long one, but the time to work with those other stakeholders is now, while science is forming. Revive & Restore is dedicated to building genuine partnerships with private, corporate, tribal, and government forest landowners to safely and responsibly restore new passenger pigeons to North America’s eastern woodlands for the benefit of both people and the environment.
Watch and Learn
“The Resurrection Quest” places our passenger pigeon work in the broader context of global de-extinction and conservation technology initiatives, showcasing an important nuance at the heart of Revive & Restore and the global genetic rescue community’s mission: de-extinction biotechnologies can be used to help save living species in the present, like the Asian Przewalski’s horse, the African Northern White Rhinoceros, and North American Horseshoe Crab. The series underscores a crucial point: these aren’t isolated scientific curiosities but connected efforts to restore biodiversity and ecosystem function worldwide.
“The Resurrection Quest” premieres on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 9pm SGT / 5am PST / 8am EST on Channel News Asia (CNA), with our passenger pigeon work featured in the first episode, “Loss.”
WATCH THE SERIES NOW:
EPISODE 1, LOSS
EPISODE 2, BIRTH
EPISODE 3, LIFE
EPISODE 4, REBIRTH
Revive & Restore is the leading nonprofit organization advancing biotechnology solutions for wildlife conservation. The Great Passenger Pigeon Comeback is one of 50+ projects in our portfolio. We currently work with researchers across the globe on groundbreaking technologies to conserve more than 120 endangered species/subspecies distributed across 100 nations.
