Pleistocene Park -- By Rachel Young

We've all seen Jurassic Park. We've all wondered what it would be like to see prehistoric roam the earth. This dream, however, this wild, unimaginable concept, could become reality in future years, with Russia working to recreate the Woolly Mammoth.
Yes, that's right. The Woolly Mammoth. The creature extinct for over 10,000 years could be making a comeback to Siberia's icy terrain as early as 2030.

Russian scientist Nikolaev explained that all this is possible because of DNA samples found preserved in the permafrost of Yakutia. The project is projected to “aim to study extinct animals from living cells - and to restore such creatures as the woolly mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, cave lion and breeds of long-gone horses”, according to experts. To recreate these prehistoric beasts, DNA is extracted from preserved samples and spliced with the genetic material of modern asian elephants. These cells are then reprogrammed to stem cells and are added to the egg of an asian elephant, which are then fertilized in an artificial womb. 

The recreation of this species isn't all for show, though. Woolly Mammoths could benefit the environment, helping to prevent Siberia's permafrost from melting and releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gases. The cold resistant elephants could flatten the snow-- supporting trees in the winter and heat reflective grass in the summer. The enhanced photosynthetic capacity of plant life would also help capture greater amounts of carbon. Scientists have also been working to introduce more animals, like wild cats and cave lions.

With a little hard work, a beast only imagined in stories, only seen in history books, may be right before our eyes in years to come. The procedure, already set in action, could change vegetation, animal life, and the climate as we know it. 

(By the way, my blog is highlighted, I did it by accident and im not really sure how to get rid of it!)