Conservationists have just decided that genetically engineering wild animals is okay — sometimes. They are right Helen Belcher
DDo you think we should genetically modify wildlife? What if we could make seabirds resistant to the flu that was wiping them out en masse, just by tweaking their DNA a little? Or make fish that can resist pollution, or make coral that can survive in warm waters? Engineer in types of change it He could They occur naturally, given enough time, and only if wildlife has actually stopped dying.
Thanks to newly emerging methods, such as Crispr, these breakthroughs are within reach. Conservationists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature recently met (IUCN) 2025 World Conservation Congress They discussed genetically modified wildlife and voted on the proposed moratorium will hinder Release them into the wild. Before the meeting, a group of more than 90 NGOs issued a statement press release “Say no to engineered wild species,” the International Union for Conservation of Nature urged. But humans have been altering the DNA of other species for thousands of years.
It all started 30,000 years agoWhen our species began domesticating wild animals. When we invited them into our world, slowly but surely, the gray wolf turned into a dog, a red forest bird turned into Chickens and cheaper chickens gave way to domestic livestock.
Then, a few hundred years ago, people began intentionally breeding their desired animals together. By repeating the process across generations, key features became exaggerated. Cattle became meatier. The pigs became taller. The dogs took on distinctive features that are now recognizable as dachshunds, dalmatians, and dobermans. It is known that selective breeding led to the creation of hairless cats. Goldfish with tufts and Goats that faint when surprised. No kidding.
everyone These features are based on changes in the animals’ DNA. We may not have modified their genes by design, but when we select for certain characteristics, the relevant DNA sequences bind to ours. Over time, this leads to genetic change.
But it doesn’t stop there. As I point out in my book, Changing Lives: How Humans Are Changing Life on EarthHuman activity now Change your DNA everyone Life on Earth. Before our species evolved, life was shaped by natural forces. Evolution and the genetic change that accompanies it tend to occur slowly over thousands of years.
Now, as we warm our world, pollute our planet and destroy the few wild places we have left, we are causing Evolution to accelerate. Genetic change occurs over time periods Decades and centuries. I’ve acquired white-footed mice in Central Park Gene versions That helps them do that Processing fatty foods And a Fungi found on rotting nuts. They appear to have developed the ability to eat pizza and peanuts. Meanwhile, in Nebraska, American Abyssal swallows have evolved Smaller wings To help them avoid traffic, in Puerto Rico, crested anole lizards evolved Longer legs and stickier toes To help them cling to buildings.
If altering the DNA of wild species is a line you feel should never be crossed, I have news for you. That ship sailed a long time ago. Although the high-tech methods used by today’s scientists may be different, the end result is the same – modified organisms with new characteristics and subtly different DNA.
New technologies often cause anxiety. When Robert Bakewell, the 18th-century farmer who advocated selective breeding, began his work with farm animals, critics said it was unnatural and potentially dangerous. The same concerns were later raised with Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards when they pioneered the development of IVF in the 1970s. In the 1990s, cloning expert Ian Wilmot received similar attention when he unveiled the birth of Dolly the sheep.
Then selective breeding turned out to be beneficial. Artificial insemination resulted in happy, healthy children. Cloning has become dependent on the agricultural industry, which uses it to clone elite breeding animals. Sometimes methods that are initially perceived as new, artificial, and worrying become accepted over time as they become familiar and proven safe and helpful. Intentional genetic modification of wildlife could be one such approach.
Those who raised their concerns at the IUCN conference were right to do so. One way gene editing differs from traditional breeding methods is that it can be used to introduce entirely new characteristics. For example, scientists took genes from jellyfish and coral and added them to zebrafish in order to create them Fluorescent versions of popular aquarium pets. Genes from different types can be mixed and matched, so it is important to determine which changes are acceptable and which are prohibited.
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New methods also have the potential to change DNA, not just at the individual level, but at the population level as well. A technology called gene drive rewrites the traditional laws of inheritance by ensuring that a particular gene is passed on to all offspring, rather than the usual half. This can be used to quickly spread beneficial features, such as disease resistance, across generations. But if researchers chose to modify a gene that reduces fertility, the same technique could be used to wipe out an entire species.
However, conservationists do not suggest cheating on wild species’ genes on a whim. Instead, they realize that in the midst of this current mass extinction, where 150 to 200 species are going extinct every day, traditional conservation tools are not enough.
So it was a win for conservation when IUCN members in Abu Dhabi chose to reject this proposal Endowment When releasing genetically modified wild species instead, accept a policy Which enables researchers to proceed with genetic modification of wildlife cautiously, with key decisions made on a case-by-case basis. Humans are the ones driving the loss of biodiversity among them everyone Classify. We have new tools that can help address this travesty, so is this at least worth exploring?