Colossal Biosciences Announces the Birth of Three Dire Wolves, Reviving the Extinct Species

Colossal Biosciences, a company focused on de-extinction, has announced the birth of three dire wolves, a species extinct for 13,000 years. These strikingly white wolves, named Remus, Romulus, and Khaleesi, were born in October 2024 and January 2025. They will be larger and more muscular than gray wolves, with adaptations for cold weather hunting. The project began 18 months ago, utilizing a gene-editing approach, due to the dire wolf's 99.5% DNA similarity to gray wolves. Colossal also developed a non-invasive blood cloning method during the process, which was used to birth two litters of the highly endangered red wolf. The dire wolves will reside in a 2,000-acre secure preserve with a dedicated care team and veterinarian. While not intended for the wild initially, future generations may undergo a step-wise removal of human intervention to retrain wild behaviors.