The Poop Project That Might Just Rescue Endangered Species

At first glance, it might sound like a bizarre side quest from a science fiction novel — collecting animal feces to preserve life on Earth. But for Professor Suzannah Williams and her team at Oxford University, poop is a powerful tool in the fight to save wildlife.

Welcome to the “Poo Zoo,” a groundbreaking conservation project that’s turning dung into data — and possibly, one day, even baby animals.

Why Poop?

Wildlife populations have plummeted by 73% since 1970, and one of the biggest hurdles in conservation is the ability to study animals without harming them. Traditional methods of gathering DNA — like skin biopsies — often require anesthesia and physical capture, which is both stressful and heavily regulated.

Williams, a professor of fertility and reproductive health, believes poop holds the key to a non-invasive alternative. When animals defecate, they shed living cells from their intestines. These cells contain DNA, offering insight into genetic diversity — a critical piece of the conservation puzzle.

“If you know where animals are pooping,” she says, “you can collect a sample without ever touching the animal.”

From Mouse Droppings to Elephant Mountains

The Poo Zoo began with mouse poop — easy to handle, easy to find. But the team had a bigger species in mind: elephants. Williams, alongside biobanking researcher Dr. Rhiannon Bolton, partnered with Chester Zoo in the UK to collect elephant dung and perfect the process of isolating viable, living cells from it.

But there were challenges.

“With mice, you have tiny dry pellets,” says Williams. “With elephants, you’re holding a massive bolus in both hands. Turning that into clean cells without ending up swimming in sludge? That took work.”

Through trial and error, Bolton’s team refined a technique that reduces debris and contamination. Though the exact method is still under wraps pending peer-reviewed publication, the team says their protocol is simple, cost-effective, and scalable — ideal for fieldwork.

Could Poop Lead to Baby Animals?

Beyond genetic data, there’s potential for something more futuristic: using poop-derived cells to create embryos. Thanks to Nobel Prize-winning research on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), scientists can reprogram cells into sperm or eggs — and have even created live mouse pups this way.

Could we one day see a baby rhino or snow leopard born from poop?

Maybe. But there are hurdles. Feces are full of bacteria, making it hard to get clean samples. According to Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt, a leading reproduction specialist in Germany, it’s unlikely fecal cells will ever be pure enough for iPSC without affecting genetic integrity. Still, he sees value in the research.

“This could give us vital genetic and health data,” Hildebrandt says. “It’s an unconventional solution — but sometimes that’s what science needs.”

Why It Matters

Genetic diversity is the lifeblood of a species’ survival. As wildlife populations shrink and become isolated, inbreeding becomes a threat. Fewer genes mean less resistance to disease, less adaptability to climate change, and more inherited disorders.

The Poo Zoo’s work offers a chance to monitor — and potentially restore — genetic health in vulnerable species. With minimal cost, no stress to the animal, and a sample that's literally lying around in the wild, this approach could revolutionize conservation practices.

“We’re losing biodiversity at a terrifying rate,” says Bolton. “This gives us a non-invasive, scalable way to collect the data we need to fight back.”

Williams echoes that sentiment. “I would love for this work not to be necessary — for a world where animals aren’t endangered, where we don’t have to do this. But that’s not the world we live in. So we scoop poop — and maybe, just maybe, it’ll help save a species.”