Colossal Foundation and Re:wild Expand Flagship Species Reintroduction Fund to Seven New Species Worldwide

The second annual cohort, selected from over $5 million in funding requests, will receive catalytic grants, genetic technologies, and technical support to help return threatened species to their native ecosystems.

DALLAS, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Colossal Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable organization of Colossal Biosciences, today announced the second cohort of its Species Reintroduction Fund, expanding the flagship program to seven new species across four continents. In collaboration with global conservation nonprofit Re:wild, the Fund will direct its annual funding commitment of $250,000 to teams working to return threatened wildlife to safe, wild habitats in Cambodia, the United States, Brazil, Guatemala, Australia, and Canada.

Launched in 2025 as the first fund in the world dedicated entirely to wildlife reintroduction and rewilding, the Colossal Species Reintroduction Fund has quickly become a magnet for the field, drawing nearly $5 million in partnership requests this cycle, roughly twenty times its annual budget.

Beyond grants of up to $50,000 per project, recipients gain access to genetic tools, emerging technologies, training, and the global conservation network behind the Fund, which supports every phase of a reintroduction, from planning and genetic assessment to release and long-term monitoring.

"The fastest way to make extinction a thing of the past is to stop it before it starts. This year's cohort supports seven outstanding conservation teams leading some of the most ambitious species recovery efforts in the world. The Colossal Foundation is excited to bring catalytic funding and the power of our de-extinction toolkit to support new partners and help give these reintroductions the greatest possible chance of long-term success."
— Matt James, Executive Director, The Colossal Foundation

"Reintroducing species is a powerful conservation tool as it helps drive species recovery and restore functioning ecosystems. Reintroduction projects are challenging and success requires a good scientific underpinning, long-term commitment, local leadership, collaboration across organizations, and deep support from local communities and stakeholders. Through the Species Reintroduction Fund, we're helping our conservation partners overcome the challenges they face locally in support of their species recovery efforts. These seven projects demonstrate what's possible when innovative conservation is matched with the resources needed to succeed."
— Barney Long, Senior Director of Conservation Strategies, Re:wild

THE 2026 COHORT
The Fund's second cohort supports seven projects representing every stage of species recovery, from a helicopter-borne rescue of one of Asia's largest wild cattle to the first steps toward restoring a keystone sea star to the Pacific seafloor. Each is led by a partner organization working to return a species to a place that needs it.

1. Banteng (Critically Endangered) | Cambodia | Rising Phoenix
The banteng, one of Asia's largest wild cattle, has declined by roughly 80% globally over the past two decades. Cambodia now represents one of the species' last strongholds, with survivors scattered across isolated forest fragments and threatened by widespread snaring and habitat loss.

Rising Phoenix, the first organization to use helicopter-assisted wildlife translocation in a banteng range state, has already relocated 32 animals to Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary. With the Fund's support, the team will move additional banteng from a threatened forest patch into the sanctuary, building a viable founder population under a developing genetic and demographic management plan.

"Creating protected areas and hoping that wildlife populations will recover without intervention is unrealistic. With 32 Banteng now translocated into Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, we have secured a viable founding population. However, there are many other Banteng herds trapped in isolated forest patches across Cambodia that will die from illegal poaching unless translocated using these same techniques." 
— Jonathan Eames, CEO of Rising Phoenix

2. Black-footed ferret (Endangered), South Dakota, USA | Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture
The black-footed ferret is North America's only native ferret and one of the most endangered mammals in the world. Every black-footed ferret alive today descends from just seven founders rescued from the last small population of 18 ferrets rediscovered in Wyoming in 1981. The species is almost entirely dependent on prairie dogs, which make up the vast majority of its diet and dig the burrows it lives in. Both animals are threatened by sylvatic plague, an introduced disease that can wipe out an entire colony in a single season.

The Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture has spent years preparing Bad River Ranch, a 148,000-acre working bison ranch in central South Dakota, for the ferret's return by restoring prairie-dog colonies and deploying a novel plague-mitigation bait system. With the Fund's support, the team will reintroduce up to 30 captive-bred ferrets and expand suitable habitat, using prescribed fire, bison grazing, and disease management, demonstrating how endangered species can recover on private, working land.

"Bison, prairie dogs, fire – agents of ecological change used by the Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture for managing wild, working lands of the Great Plains. With the help of Colossal, Re:wild and the Species Reintroduction Fund we are restoring black-footed ferrets – one of the rarest carnivores in the world – to the ecological mix at Bad River Ranches in South Dakota. This unique effort harnesses historical disturbance regimes of fire and bison grazing to promote keystone effects of prairie dogs that can, in turn, sustain endangered black-footed ferrets."
— Dr. Magnus McCaffery, Deputy Director at Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture

3. Brown howler monkey (Vulnerable) | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Refauna
The last person to document a brown howler monkey in what is now Rio de Janeiro's Tijuca National Park was Charles Darwin, in 1832. Today, the species is listed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List, and "Endangered" on Brazil's National Red List and ranks among the world's 25 most endangered primates. Howlers are also acutely vulnerable to yellow fever, which killed thousands of Brazilian primates during a 2017 outbreak.

Refauna has rebuilt a small population in the national park, one of the most visited on Earth, that now numbers just 12 to 14 animals. With the Fund's support, the team will release a new, yellow-fever-vaccinated social group to boost genetic diversity and resilience, sequence the founders' genomes, and refine translocation practices that are already being adopted elsewhere in the Atlantic Forest, one of the planet's most threatened and biodiverse hotspots.

"The return of the brown howler monkey to Tijuca National Park is much more than the reintroduction of a single species. It represents the recovery of ecological interactions, ecosystem functions, and people's connection with nature. The partnership with Re:wild and the Colossal Foundation through the Species Reintroduction Fund is an important milestone for the conservation of the brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) in Brazil. Beyond supporting the continuation of this reintroduction effort in the most visited national park in Brazil, this funding will help increase the chances of long-term persistence of the population in the area, contribute to manage a safety populations, and strengthen other reintroduction initiatives for the species that are taking place across the Atlantic Forest, one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world." 
— Dr. Marcelo Rheingantz, Director of Refauna

4. Campbell's alligator lizard (Critically Endangered) | Guatemala | FUNDESGUA
Campbell's alligator lizard is a small, dragon-like tree-dweller found nowhere on Earth but a single mountain system in eastern Guatemala. Described only in 1993 and once feared extinct, it survives in the last fragments of a cloud forest that has lost most of its original extent.

Because the lizard is arboreal and cannot cross open ground to recolonize on its own, restoring its habitat is the essential first step toward recovery. With the Fund's support, FUNDESGUA will propagate at least 10,000 native pine-oak and cloud-forest seedlings and restore more than 16 hectares to establish what would become the first protected area in the world dedicated to the species, laying the groundwork for reintroduction of this endemic species.

"In a single mountain ecosystem in Guatemala lies the entire and only home of a small dragon-like arboreal lizard: Campbell's alligator lizard (Abronia campbelli). Habitat loss within this highly restricted range has pushed this unique species to the verge of extinction. We are very proud to have the support of the Species Reintroduction Fund as we work to restore the ecological conditions necessary for the long-term recovery of the species in the wild."
— Mónica Torres, Administrative Director of FUNDESGUA

5. Guam kingfisher / Sihek (Extinct in the Wild) | Palmyra Atoll | The Nature Conservancy
The Sihek, or Guam kingfisher, is a jewel-colored bird that for decades has lived only in human care. After the brown tree snake was accidentally introduced to Guam following World War II, it devoured nearly the island's entire community of forest birds. By 1988 the Sihek was declared Extinct in the Wild, surviving only because 29 of the last birds had been brought into a breeding program. For nearly four decades, not a single Sihek flew free.

That changed in 2024, when nine young birds were released on The Nature Conservancy's Palmyra Atoll Preserve, a remote, snake-free refuge chosen as a stepping-stone on the long road back to Guam. Eighteen months later, all nine are alive and have laid the first wild Sihek eggs in a generation. With the Fund's support, the recovery team will release a second cohort of nine birds this year, adding genetic and demographic diversity to the fledgling wild population.

"The flash of the Sihek's cinnamon and turquoise feathers through the Palmyra Atoll canopy is a symbol of hope for all species–showing that, through courageous conservation action, we can turn the tide of extinction. We are proud to be able to provide The Nature Conservancy's Palmyra Atoll Preserve as the first wild home for Guam Sihek in nearly 40 years. With our partners in the Sihek Recovery Project and this vital support from the Species Reintroduction Fund, nine young Sihek will journey to Palmyra later this year, bolstering this growing population and building hope that their descendants may one day fly in their native forests on Guam."
— Dr. Caitlin Andrews, Bird Conservation Scientist, The Nature Conservancy & Zoological Society of London

6. Northern quoll (Endangered) | Queensland, Australia | Australian Wildlife Conservancy 
The northern quoll is an Endangered, spotted marsupial predator that once ranged across northern Australia. Its decline is driven by invasive cane toads, introduced in 1935 and lethal to the quolls that try to eat them, together with feral cats and habitat loss. 

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy has founded populations of 23 species across its sanctuary network. With the Fund's support, AWC will translocate up to 30 wild quolls—selected from populations that have demonstrated natural tolerance or avoidance of cane toads—into a 950-hectare feral-predator-free safe haven at Mount Zero–Taravale in north Queensland, fitting many with tracking collars and establishing the monitoring protocols to grow a self-sustaining founder population and restore the quoll's role as a top-order predator.

"In recent history, the Northern Quoll story has been one of decline as cane toads and cats spread throughout their range, but it doesn't have to continue that way. Reintroduction of endangered species to safe havens enables us to restore environmental balance and important cultural species to where they belong. With support from the Colossal Foundation's Species Reintroduction Fund, we have the chance to change the trajectory of the Northern Quoll at Mount Zero-Taravale, on Gugu Badhun Country, and shift its story from loss to one of recovery and resilience." 
–Dr. Helena Stokes, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Acting Regional Ecologist

Since 2024, the Colossal Foundation has been working to engineer resistance to cane toad toxin into the quoll's genome. The eventual goal is to pair that science with reintroduction— working with partners like AWC to one day return cane toad–resistant quolls to landscapes the toads have made lethal.

"Saving the northern quoll means working on two fronts at once. Reintroductions like this one give the species safe ground to recover on today, while our research to build cane toad resistance into the quoll's genome aims to remove the threat that drove its collapse in the first place. Pairing world-class field conservation with genetic rescue is exactly how we believe the fight against extinction should be fought, and the quoll shows how those pieces fit together."
— Dr. Andrew Pask, Chief Biology Officer, Colossal Biosciences

7. Sunflower sea star (Critically Endangered) | British Columbia, Canada | Snuneymuxw First Nation 
The sunflower sea star is the largest sea star in the world, measuring nearly a meter across, with up to two dozen arms. It is also a voracious predator of the sea urchins that would otherwise graze kelp forests down to barren rubble. Beginning in 2013, sea star wasting disease swept the Pacific coast in the largest marine wildlife disease outbreak ever recorded, killing an estimated billions of sea stars and erasing roughly 99% of the species from its southern range. As the sea stars disappeared, urchin populations exploded and kelp forests collapsed.

Led by the Snuneymuxw First Nation and in collaboration with Vancouver Island University, this project pairs Traditional Ecological Knowledge with marine science to lay the groundwork for bringing the species back to Snuneymuxw waters. The teams will develop methods to collect broodstock, rear larvae through their fragile early stages, and establish a genetic baseline; the essential first steps toward future reintroductions and the recovery of the coast's kelp forests.

"For generations, Snuneymuxw people have understood that all species are connected. The loss of sunflower sea stars has been felt throughout our marine ecosystem, from expanding urchin barrens to declining kelp forests. This project is an opportunity to help restore a keystone species, rebuild ecosystem balance, and continue our responsibility to care for these lands and waters as we have since time immemorial. Healthy sunflower sea star populations mean healthier kelp forests, healthier marine ecosystems, and a stronger future for the species and communities that depend on them."
— Kali Brauckmann, Marine Division Project Manager, Snuneymuxw First Nation 

ABOUT THE SPECIES REINTRODUCTION FUND
The Species Reintroduction Fund welcomes proposals from nonprofit, government, academic, and Indigenous-led organizations worldwide with innovative strategies to reintroduce threatened species and restore critical habitats. Beyond funding, the Fund is designed to:

• Strengthen Target Species Populations: Maximizing genetic diversity, abundance, and population viability through responsible conservation translocations that move wild or bred animals into the wild through reintroductions, reinforcements, ecological replacements, or assisted colonization.
• Restore Habitats: Going beyond restoration to ensure habitats are managed for sustainable, long-term recovery that supports thriving populations of reintroduced species.
• Support Human Communities: Partnering with local and Indigenous communities to restore healthy ecosystems capable of supporting alternative livelihoods and aligning with conservation goals.
• Enable Long-Term Conservation Conditions: Establishing robust management plans and policies that ensure species reintroductions continue to succeed well beyond the project timeframe.

For additional details, including fund eligibility criteria, deadlines, to submit an application, and program guidelines, visit: https://colossalfoundation.org/project/speciesreintroductionfund/

ABOUT THE COLOSSAL FOUNDATION
The Colossal Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting the use of cutting-edge technologies for conservation efforts globally to help prevent extinction of keystone species. The organization deploys de-extinction technologies and support to empower partners in the field to reverse the extinction crisis. Learn more at www.ColossalFoundation.org.

ABOUT RE:WILD
Re:wild protects and restores the wild. We have a singular and powerful focus: the wild as the most effective solution to the interconnected climate, biodiversity and human wellbeing crises. Founded by a group of renowned conservation scientists together with Leonardo DiCaprio, Re:wild is a force multiplier that brings together Indigenous peoples, local communities, influential leaders, nongovernmental organizations, governments, companies and the public to protect and rewild at the scale and speed we need. Learn more at rewild.org.

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SOURCE Colossal Biosciences Inc.