The moa was a visionary bird well ahead of its time.
Bringing them back from extinction makes perfect sense - we'll be setting them free.
They can finally live their best life. Spread their wings - metaphorically, of course, cause they don't actually have wings. But they'll be free in this brave, new modern world.
Firstly, they're vegan. So hip and trendy box number one - big tick.
Wait till somebody introduces them to the incredible burger, or eggplant sandwiches with vegan slaw. They'll love that.
But wait, it gets woker.
The women are dominant - one and half times bigger than the men and two and half times the weight.
Trendy, progressive box number two - tick.
Number 3 - turns out they were quite oppressed back in the day. Victims, you could call them. Also very trendy today.
Hunted to extinction by men with spears, slaughtered and eaten. You know what that means in 2025 - lived experience. Wait for the wellness podcast and the Oprah interview.
And then there's the obvious but awkward issue of being a bird with no wings. A bird that can't fly.
Kiwi are so embarrassed by this they only come out at night in case any one notices this deformity.
But moa stand at up to 3.5m tall in broad daylight, which is quite hard to miss. It's not like you can hide behind another bird or a tree or anything else, really.
They stick out like the Sky Tower, which is more fodder for the podcast, no doubt.
So to the moa, who we will soon raise from the dead: Welcome to a brand new world. Welcome the world you deserved from the beginning.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.