Firm raises $15m to bring back woolly mammoth from extinction

Scientists set initial sights on creating elephant-mammoth hybrid, with first calves expected in six years

• Reintroducing large animals can help restore ecosystems

Ten thousand years after woolly mammoths vanished from the face of the Earth, scientists are embarking on an ambitious project to bring the beasts back to the Arctic tundra.

The prospect of recreating mammoths and returning them to the wild has been discussed - seriously at times - for more than a decade, but on Monday researchers announced fresh funding they believe could make their dream a reality.