The Zoo of the Reborn’s ambitious debut
As we make our way along the neatly paved road surrounded by dense taiga forest on both sides, our guide Iouri prepares us for what he describes as “a monumental step back in time and an even bigger one into the future”. It sounds like a line straight from a brochure, but he delivers it with the sincerity of someone who truly means it.
The vehicle that carries myself and a handful of other invited journalists has been custom built for the Zoo of the Reborn. Layered swivelling leather seats and a large domed glass build give each of us unrestricted views of our surroundings. It’s incredibly cosy, and a sharp contrast to the frigid environment on display.
After years of growing anticipation and a few setbacks, the revolutionary and equally controversial zoo is finally set to open it’s doors. It’s inaugural park — dubbed Siberian Safari — is a two hour drive from Yakutsk, a remote port city nestled in Russia’s Far East region of Yakutia.
About 30 minutes into our tour the forest starts giving way to relatively barren permafrost plains. Judging by the raised excitement in Iouri’s voice I sense that the time has come. Another 10 minutes go by without much to see when all of a sudden someone gasps. We all turn and low and behold a herd of woolly mammoths slowly starts revealing itself, seven immense resurrected creatures in total. Iouri overrides our pre-programmed trajectory and we come to a halt to fully appreciate what is unfolding in the valley beyond.
The herd’s movements bare a slight resemblance to those of a herd of elephants, their genealogical relatives. But that’s where the similarities stop. Having seen many elephants in my lifetime — both African and Asian — I can attest that the mammoths have a very different aura to them. Their overall build and mannerisms are unique. Their thick fur coats and giant tusks make the whole scene seem like a sci-fi flick playing before our very eyes.
“Cherish this people, it’s been 10,000 years since we’ve last seen these”, he says, by “we” meaning humans. The woolly mammoths are the zoo’s main act, backed by the perhaps less famous but equally impressive woolly rhinos, who roam the park in lesser numbers and are therefore harder to be spotted.
The location of the first park was carefully planned. The region encompassing Yakutsk has long been a hub for mammoth research and the opening of the World Mammoth Centre here 12 years ago laid much of the groundwork for what was yet to come. As the years went by the scientific community rallied behind bringing back both the mammoth and the rhino, only to see attempts continuously fall short primarily due to a lack of resources.
It was then that Swedish serial entrepreneur Nicolas Svennström announced he was investing an astounding $800 million to create a commercial vision for the endeavour, and with that the Zoo of the Reborn’s first park became a reality. A portion of that investment was channeled into public funds supporting the de-extinction process, with a clause granting Svennström exclusive commercial rights for the next 30 years.
Svennström doesn’t intend on stopping in Siberia, with another three locations already under consideration. The zoo’s New Zealand park is on track to open next and will be home to the moa, a larger than life flightless bird extinct since the 13th century. North America will get it’s branch in Alaska, where Steller’s sea cows (an extinct relative of the dugong) will come back to life. In Australia the zoo plans to see the return of the Tasmanian tiger.
Iouri sets our vehicle back in motion and after another 10 minutes the herd has disappeared well off into the distance. As we re-enter the forest towards the end of our tour, he fills us in on the steps the zoo is taking to make sure this becomes not only an attraction but also a blueprint for how the world can benefit from future de-extinctions.
“Not only are we giving the region an incredible economic boost, we are also assisting scientists with experiments on how to deal with permafrost thawing brought upon by climate change”, Iouri eagerly points out.
Back at the park’s visitor centre the atmosphere is similar to that of kids returning from their first school trip to the zoo. Some of the fellow journalists I talk to are sceptical of the zoo’s mission — they wonder if it’s pushing the boundaries a bit too far in an attempt to “play God”. Most are simply in awe and can’t help but daydream about Svennström’s next venture.
Amongst all the buzz workers put up the final touches for opening week. Over the first five days the park will receive dignitaries and invite-only guests. From then on anyone willing to venture to the coldest city on the planet, as well as cough up the 16,000 ruble entrance fee, will bare witness to one of mankind’s greatest scientific achievements of the 21st century.
