You Can Soon See a Woolly Mammoth at Dubai's Museum of the Future

A new Life and Biodiversity Laboratory is set to become a permanent attraction at Dubai’s Museum of the Future, introducing an immersive scientific experience focused on extinct species, biodiversity and preservation.
Developed in collaboration with US-based Colossal Biosciences, the laboratory uses advanced visual and interactive technologies to bring visitors close to animals that no longer exist. The experience was presented during the World Governments Summit 2026 and will now form part of the museum’s long-term exhibition programme.
The laboratory showcases representations of several extinct species, including the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), the Tasmanian tiger or thylacine, an extinct carnivorous marsupial, and the dodo (Raphus cucullatus), a flightless bird once native to Mauritius. These species are presented within a wider narrative examining extinction, scientific research and biodiversity protection.
A central component of the experience is the World Preservation Lab and BioVault, developed under the theme ‘Bringing the Past to the Future’. The installation explores how modern science engages with extinct species and conservation challenges. Colossal Biosciences, which is involved in research using CRISPR gene-editing technology related to extinct animals such as the mammoth, thylacine and dodo, contributes scientific context that has been adapted for public engagement rather than active experimentation.