Researchers are exploring a novel method to save endangered animals from extinction by leveraging animal poo to capture and utilize animals’ genetic diversity.

The project, referred to as the “poo zoo,” utilizes the fact that besides being rich in undigested food, bacteria, and bile, poo also contains cells from the creature that deposited it, shed from the lining of their intestines. The goal is to use these cells to increase the chance of species survival by boosting genetic diversity within populations.

The process, known as “genetic rescue,” can take several forms, including using the DNA from these cells to aid scientists in understanding the genetic variation of different populations or using state-of-the-art assisted reproductive technologies to create entire animals.

Dr. Ashlee Hutchinson, a program manager of Revive & Restore, a US-based conservation organization, stated that creating sex cells in a laboratory can harness the genetic diversity of a species without the need to collect sperm and eggs from individual animals.

The team acknowledges various challenges, including the need to process large volumes of dung, and the necessity to develop methods to remove the high concentration of bacteria in poo. They also recognize that producing offspring from these cells would require a deeper understanding of the reproductive physiology of the species involved.

While some conservationists advocate for preventing the decline of species as the best strategy for conservation, the poo zoo team believes combining modern and traditional methods could provide new opportunities for conservation.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/16/animal-poo-can-be-used-to-save-endangered-species-from-extinction-research-finds