Very little is known about the Chatham Island crested penguin. Although some researchers speculated it might be a unique species in 1994, it wasn't until mitochondrial DNA testing in 2019 that the Chatham Island crested penguin was declared to be a species. The Polynesians arrived in the Chatham Islands around 1500. It is thought that the Chatham Island crested penguins went extinct within 150 - 200 years of the Polynesian arrival like several other bird species and one species of sea lion. One account from 1872 reported a crested penguin from the Chathams being kept captive for several weeks that year, but scientists think it was more likely one of the other three species of penguin that visit the Chatham Islands. Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The Chatham Island crested penguin might be a candidate. Scientists would potentially use DNA from one of the subfossils that have been collected. The good news is that New Zealand has been making great progress in protecting its native wildlife, like the kiwi by preserving forests and eliminating invasive species. Penguins are no longer used as a food source by the people of New Zealand or the Chatham Islands. The Snares penguins, erect-crested penguins, and rockhoppers are doing well in the Chatham Islands. If the Chatham Island crested penguin was brought back to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland in the Chatham Islands in New Zealand?