DALLAS— In a world-first scientific breakthrough, Colossal Biosciences has successfully brought the extinct dire wolf back to life, announcing the birth of three dire wolf pups using advanced de-extinction and cloning technologies. The achievement marks the first time a species extinct for over 12,000 years has been revived.
The dire wolves—named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—were born on October 1, 2024, and are thriving at Colossal’s 2,000-acre ecological preserve. The company used DNA from ancient fossils to perform 20 precision gene edits, 15 of which restored long-lost gene variants.
Alongside this milestone, Colossal also birthed four red wolf pups—one of the world’s most critically endangered canids—through a novel, non-invasive cloning technique, signaling the broader conservation potential of its technology.
“This is just the beginning,” said Colossal CEO Ben Lamm. “We’ve shown that our end-to-end de-extinction technology works, and it has massive implications for conservation.”
The wolves are housed in a certified humane facility featuring advanced security, veterinary care, and natural habitats. Long term, Colossal aims to restore species like the dire wolf to protected ecosystems, including possible partnerships with Indigenous lands.
Co-founder and Harvard geneticist Dr. George Church emphasized the wider significance: “We’re not just reviving species—we’re recovering ancient genetic diversity, a capability growing exponentially.”
The dire wolf’s return is being hailed as a turning point in conservation science, merging ancient DNA, cutting-edge gene editing, and ethical care to potentially reverse the impact of extinction.
