Between hype and hope: De-extinction is a tool, not a panacea for the biodiversity crisis

Abstract

With recent claims of dire wolf resurrection, de-extinction has refueled public imagination and scientific controversy. This piece critically examines the promises and pitfalls of de-extinction, aiming to disentangle genuine advancements from inflated expectations. While substantial obstacles remain for de-extinction to move from lab breakthroughs to functional wild populations, the technologies behind it have catalyzed substantial and transferable advances in biotechnology, conservation biology, and public engagement, provocatively positioning de-extinction as a new era in conservation. However, scientific, ethical, and practical concerns remain. Chief among these concerns are media distortion, potential diversion of funding from urgent conservation needs, animal welfare risks, and unresolved legal frameworks. Rather than a panacea for the biodiversity crisis, de-extinction should be seen as a supplementary tool for conservation—valuable when used with responsibility and ecological purposefulness. Between hype and hope, there is room for thoughtful progress, one that recognizes limitations, reinforces urgent conservation priorities, and reimagines what future biodiversity stewardship looks like.