Bringing woolly mammoths back to life — a concept known as de-extinction — is an active area of scientific research, and there is real progress being made. However, it's complex and controversial.

Current Efforts:

The most notable effort is led by a biotech company called Colossal Biosciences, working with renowned geneticist George Church. Their goal is to create a mammoth-elephant hybrid using gene editing (CRISPR). Here's how:

• They use Asian elephant DNA (since they are the closest living relatives of woolly mammoths).

• Mammoth genes related to cold resistance, fat storage, and fur are inserted into the elephant genome.

• The end goal is not to clone a mammoth, but to create an elephant with mammoth-like traits that can survive in cold climates.

Timeline:

Colossal has stated a goal of producing the first calf by 2027, though this is ambitious and may be delayed due to technical, ethical, or biological hurdles.

Challenges:

• Gestation: Asian elephants are endangered, and using them as surrogate mothers is ethically and biologically complicated. Artificial wombs are being researched but are not yet viable for elephants.

• Genetic accuracy: Scientists can’t perfectly recreate mammoths — only approximate them based on available DNA.

• Ethics & ecology: Concerns include animal welfare, environmental impact, and whether bringing back extinct species diverts resources from saving endangered ones.

In Summary:

Scientists likely won’t create a pure woolly mammoth, but within the next decade, we might see a mammoth-like elephant that serves both scientific and ecological goals (like restoring the Arctic tundra). It’s not Jurassic Park — but it’s close.