Colossal Biosciences has acquired a rare South Island giant moa egg from a private collection in the United States and plans to return the artifact to Aotearoa, New Zealand, where it will be placed under the guidance of Ngāi Tahu research leaders involved in the company’s moa de-extinction program.
The egg was discovered in New Zealand on January 14, 1966, according to auction records, and remained in a private American collection for approximately six decades. Colossal purchased it from Artemis Gallery in Louisville, Colorado, on June 12, 2026, after it resurfaced at public auction.
Auction records indicate the egg may have originated from a human burial site dating to the Moa Hunter period around AD 1300, although Colossal said additional research will be needed to verify its provenance.
Fewer than 40 sufficiently complete moa eggs are known in public collections worldwide, and only eight retain at least 90% of their original shell. The newly documented egg measures approximately 22 by 17 centimeters and has been reconstructed from numerous fragments, with additional pieces still awaiting reattachment. Colossal plans to transport the egg privately to New Zealand and hold a repatriation ceremony in December.
Moa were flightless birds native exclusively to New Zealand. Nine species existed when Polynesian settlers arrived between approximately 1250 and 1300 CE. The South Island giant moa could stand as tall as 3.6 meters with its neck extended and weigh approximately 230 kilograms. Moa became extinct roughly 600 years ago. For Ngāi Tahu, moa remains are considered taonga, or treasured objects carrying cultural and historical significance.
The repatriation is connected to a moa de-extinction initiative established in 2025 by Colossal, the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, Sir Peter Jackson, and Canterbury Museum. The program combines Colossal’s genomic and reproductive technologies with research direction and mātauranga from Ngāi Tahu researchers and other New Zealand experts.
Scientists working with the program have collected samples from cave and subfossil sites across Te Waipounamu to support sequencing of multiple moa species. In May 2026, Colossal also reported hatching healthy chicks using a shell-less artificial incubation system being developed to eventually accommodate eggs approaching moa size.
Researchers could eventually use non-destructive imaging or carefully approved sampling to investigate the egg’s DNA, isotopes, species, and geographic origin. Any future testing will be determined by the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre in accordance with tikanga.
KEY QUOTES:
“When we launched the moa program we made a clear commitment that indigenous leadership would guide the science and every decision surrounding the project. Securing and transporting this egg back to its rightful home is just part of that commitment. Regardless of when and how it left the country, we strongly feel all recognizable moa bones and remains as well as any other New Zealand artifacts should be returned to the country and its people. To quote Indiana Jones, ‘it belongs in a museum,’ a museum in Aotearoa, under the care of the people whose ancestors lived alongside these extraordinary birds. We are honored to help return it home.”
Ben Lamm, CEO And Co-Founder Of Colossal
“Every New Zealander grows up knowing the moa and feeling its loss. Whenever I’ve been walking deep in the New Zealand bush, I can’t help but keep looking into the thick forest, hoping for a glimpse of the mythic ‘last Moa’ – an amazing bird that sadly no longer exists, no matter how hard you look … and hope. When we learned that this exceptionally rare Moa egg was being sold outside of New Zealand, we spoke to Colossal, who not only offered to rescue it at their own considerable expense – but to also fly it privately to New Zealand, so it returns home safely. After expert restoration, it will very likely become only the ninth known nearly intact moa egg—probably one of the five best-preserved examples. More importantly, working with Colossal, and under Ngāi Tahu’s guidance, we can return this culturally significant taonga to its rightful custodians, advance research into the Moa, and connect future generations with Aotearoa’s extraordinary cultural and natural history. I’m delighted this treasure will now be in the care of Ngāi Tahu.”
Sir Peter Jackson
“In fieldwork and research undertaken across Te Waipounamu, we’ve often worked with fragments of bone and eggshell that help us reconstruct the story of moa and the people who lived alongside them. To see an egg of this rarity return to Te Waipounamu is extraordinary. It carries information about the moa species that birthed it, the landscape it came from and potentially the people connected to it. Most importantly, it will now be cared for and further researched in collaboration with Ngāi Tahu researchers, where decisions about its future can be guided by tikanga and grounded in the place to which it belongs.”
Kyle Davis, Ngāi Tahu Archaeologist And Cultural Heritage Expert
