Meet The Dire Wolf Trio Remus, Romulus And Khaleesi: How A Texas Lab Revived An Extinct Species

It was once thought to be a creature of fantasy, made famous by Game of Thrones, but now the legendary dire wolf has returned—sort of. Scientists at Texas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences claim to have successfully revived the extinct predator through cutting-edge gene editing, producing three live wolf pups that carry dire wolf DNA for the first time in over 12,000 years.

The landmark achievement marks the world's first successful instance of de-extinction, according to The New York Times. Although the animals are not exact replicas of the ancient species, they carry 20 key dire wolf genes, including those influencing size, coat colour, and build.

Two males named Romulus and Remus were born in October 2024, and three months later, a female named Khaleesi. All three now live in a secure, 2,000-acre preserve somewhere in the northern United States. The wolves are already showing telltale traits: white, dense fur, large bodies, bushy tails and thick manes. According to Colossal's chief scientific officer, Beth Shapiro, the animals represent the closest humans have come to bringing an extinct species back to life.

A Prehistoric Giant Returns—With a Twist

The dire wolf, or Canis (Aenocyon) dirus, once roamed much of North and South America and was around 25% larger than today's grey wolves. Fossils suggest it had a shoulder height of up to 38 inches and a body length of nearly 70 inches. It boasted a skull as long as 12 inches, packed with powerful jaws and massive teeth. These apex predators hunted bison, camels, horses—and possibly even woolly mammoths—before going extinct around 10,000 years ago.

According to the National Park Service, dire wolves thrived in packs and likely competed fiercely with other carnivores for prey. Their extinction coincided with the disappearance of many large Ice Age animals, perhaps hastened by early human hunters.

From Ancient Fossils to Modern DNA

The breakthrough began when Colossal scientists extracted DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth found in Ohio and a 72,000-year-old skull recovered from Idaho, per Colossal's own documentation. After sequencing the genomes, researchers identified genes unique to dire wolves and edited those into the DNA of modern grey wolves using CRISPR technology.

They successfully altered 20 genes in total, with 15 coming directly from the ancient samples. Five others were substituted with safe alternatives, as the original variants were linked to blindness and deafness in canids. The edited cells were then implanted into domestic dogs, resulting in four live births—three of which survived.

Not Quite Jurassic Park

While it may seem like science fiction, this achievement is grounded in meticulous science. The goal was not to resurrect the species with complete genetic accuracy, but to recreate a functional analogue—a creature that shares key physical and genetic characteristics of the dire wolf.

'You want to be able to resurrect these phenotypes, but you don't want to do something that's going to be bad for the animal,' said Dr Shapiro in a KVUE report.

Colossal's facility—equipped with veterinary clinics, wolf management zones, and 24/7 monitoring—provides lifetime care for the pups. The company has also partnered with Native American communities, such as the MHA Nation in North Dakota, to discuss eventual reintroduction into protected reserves.

A Platform for Conservation

Colossal, valued at over £7.9 billion ($10 billion), sees its de-extinction technology as a tool for conservation. Alongside the dire wolf project, the company is also working to revive the woolly mammoth and the dodo. Their methods could also be used to save endangered species—such as the critically endangered red wolf, whose population is mostly confined to North Carolina.

In parallel, Colossal has produced cloned red wolves using the same technology, with pups named Hope, Blaze, Cinder, and Ash. Scientists believe introducing these animals to the wild could enhance genetic diversity and rescue struggling populations from collapse.

A Cautious Step Into the Past

Despite the fanfare, experts remain divided over the ethics and efficacy of de-extinction. Dr Julie Meachen, a paleontologist involved in the DNA recovery but not the breeding project, voiced concerns about the practicality of bringing back species that no longer have a natural place in today's ecosystems.

'We have trouble with the wolves we have today,' she said, pointing to ongoing threats such as habitat loss and hunting. Just last month, dozens of environmental groups protested a proposed US law that would remove grey wolves from the endangered species list.

Others, like George R.R. Martin, the Game of Thrones author and an investor in Colossal, are more optimistic. 'I get the luxury to write about magic, but Ben [Lamm] and Colossal have created magic by bringing these majestic beasts back to our world,' he said.

The dire wolf pups are expected to grow to full size in the coming year. Whether they will ever roam free—or remain living out their days in protected luxury—is still uncertain. What is clear, however, is that science has taken a bold step into rewriting the narrative of extinction.