Transforming animal poo into future offspring might sound like a magician’s trick, but scientists believe it could become a groundbreaking method to save endangered species from extinction.

With wildlife facing unprecedented threats—some experts call it “biological annihilation”—researchers are now exploring whether genetic material found in animal waste could offer a new tool for conservation.

The “Poo Zoo” project is based on a simple yet promising idea: animal waste, beyond containing undigested food and bacteria, also holds cells shed from the animal’s intestinal lining. Recent studies suggest that some of these cells remain alive—if the faeces are fresh enough—offering a potential treasure trove of genetic information.

“It’s very, very early stages,” said Prof Suzannah Williams of Oxford University, who is leading the team. “But so far it’s feeling very positive,” she added, noting they have not only isolated live cells from mouse poo, but also from elephant dung.

By harnessing these living cells, scientists hope to boost genetic diversity within endangered populations. This approach, known as “genetic rescue,” has two key applications. First, by extracting and analysing DNA from the cells, researchers can better understand the genetic makeup of various populations, helping to guide conservation strategies. The quality of DNA is significantly higher when sourced from living cells.

A more ambitious goal is to use these cells to create entire animals through advanced reproductive technologies. One possibility is cloning—where the nucleus of a living cell is implanted into a donor egg, stimulated with an electric impulse, and transferred into a surrogate mother. This method could produce a genetic replica of the original animal.

Perhaps even more revolutionary is the idea of reprogramming these cells to become “pluripotent”—capable of transforming into any cell type. In mice, scientists have already shown that such cells can be turned into sperm and eggs. If applied to endangered species, this technology could enable researchers to create offspring without needing to capture animals or collect reproductive materials directly.

“If you use eggs and sperm, you get to leverage sexual reproduction and all of the recombination that happens during those events, and you get to really start to build the potential for adaptation to environmental stress,” said Dr Ashlee Hutchinson, who came up with the idea of the poo zoo and is a programme manager of Revive & Restore, a US-based conservation organisation that is funding the work.

This approach could be especially valuable for conserving species that are difficult to locate or breed. By producing sex cells in a laboratory, scientists can preserve genetic diversity without the logistical challenges of transporting animals across the globe.

Furthermore, reprogrammed cells open the door to advanced gene-editing techniques, allowing researchers to study genetic traits linked to disease resistance or environmental adaptations. This technology could eventually help engineer more resilient species by selectively modifying embryos or reproductive cells.

Gene editing is already being pursued by organisations like Revive and Restore, which aims to to bring back the extinct Passenger Pigeon. Similarly, the biotech company Colossal is working to revive the woolly mammoth. The ability to freeze living cells indefinitely in liquid nitrogen means the genetic material gathered from animal waste could also be stored for future applications not yet conceived.

Biobanking—the process of preserving cells and tissues for future use—has already become a vital tool for genetic rescue. Institutions like San Diego’s Frozen Zoo and the UK-based Nature’s Safe store genetic materials from endangered species, including sperm, ovarian tissue, and skin cells.

However, these methods typically require direct sampling from live or deceased animals. By contrast, the “Poo Zoo” approach is non-invasive and allows scientists to collect samples from even the most elusive wildlife. This opens new possibilities for preserving genetic diversity from wild populations without disturbing the animals themselves.

“It’s a case of how can we, en masse, collect living cells in as many species as we can to maintain diversity that we’re losing at a terrifying rate,” said Dr Rhiannon Bolton, a researcher on the project from Chester zoo, a charity that is collaborating on the project.

But the approach is not without challenges. The sheer volume of dung that must be processed is considerable – “think about buckets and sieves at the beginning,” said Bolton.

Beyond animal cells, faecal samples contain a wealth of other information, including environmental DNA (eDNA) from the animal’s ecosystem.

“This is the most bacteria-heavy environment you could possibly collect cells out of,” said Williams. The team are already working on a solution – using dilution to remove the bacteria.

“Then we culture [the animal cells] in antibiotics and antifungals,” Williams said.

This additional data could provide deeper insights into habitat health and species interactions.

Despite the promise, significant challenges remain before scientists can use faecal cells to create viable offspring. One major obstacle is the limited understanding of reproductive physiology in many endangered animals. For now, the project’s initial focus will likely be on species already well-studied in laboratory settings.

Still, the “Poo Zoo” team has a track record of pushing scientific boundaries. For example, Professor Thomas Hildebrandt and his colleagues are leading efforts to save the northern white rhino by developing lab-based methods to create eggs from rhino ovarian tissue. Meanwhile, Revive and Restore has been involved in the successful cloning of the black-footed ferret—a species believed to have gone extinct twice—using cells preserved for decades.

Despite these advances, some conservationists argue that prevention remains the best solution.

“The best way to protect species is to stop them declining to the point that such approaches as cloning are required. While these new technologies might provide some exciting opportunities for conservation they are unlikely to provide the transformation we need to see,” said Paul De Ornellas, the chief adviser on wildlife science at WWF UK.

“Addressing the primary drivers of biodiversity decline like habitat loss and overexploitation while supporting conservation efforts at scale that enable the protection and recovery of nature must be our primary focus if we’re to address the biodiversity crisis.”

Dr. David Jachowski, an associate professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University and an expert on black-footed ferrets, emphasises that while preserving genetic diversity is crucial, it cannot replace the need to protect and restore natural habitats.

“Producing more animals doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve removed the threat in the wild to release the animal and have it survive,” he said.

The “Poo Zoo” researchers agree, stressing that modern genetic methods should complement traditional conservation efforts. By combining cutting-edge science with habitat protection, they believe it is possible to secure a future for endangered species—one poo sample at a time.