Scientists Revive Dire Wolves Using Ancient DNA & Cloning

Photo: AP

In an incredible scientific achievement, scientists have brought back a species that went extinct about 12,500 years ago — the dire wolf. These ancient animals, once powerful predators in North America, have been revived using advanced genetic science.

The company behind this amazing project is Colossal Biosciences, based in Texas. With the help of ancient DNA, cloning, and gene editing, they were able to create three dire wolf pups. The two males, named Romulus and Remus, were born on October 1, 2024, and a female was born later on January 30, 2025.

Although they are only six months old, Romulus and Remus are already about four feet long and weigh more than 36 kilograms. The scientists used the DNA of their closest living relative — the gray wolf — to help bring them back to life. Dire wolves are larger than gray wolves, with thicker fur and stronger jaws.

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Many people know about dire wolves because of the popular TV show Game of Thrones, where the animal was shown as a strong and loyal creature.

George Church, one of the co-founders of Colossal and a well-known genetics professor at Harvard University and MIT, told Time Magazine that the method they used to create the wolves is a big breakthrough. He explained that scientists were able to take a small sample of blood, grow cells from it, and then clone those cells to create real animals. He believes this could change the future of science.

The billionaire Elon Musk also noticed the news and made a funny request on social media. He said, “Please make a miniature pet woolly mammoth,” showing his excitement about the technology.

After the dire wolf pups were born, they were fed by a surrogate mother for a few days, and then the Colossal team began bottle-feeding them. Today, the pups are healthy and growing well.

However, their behavior is very different from normal wolf puppies. According to Time, they don’t show excitement when humans are around. In fact, Romulus and Remus usually stay away from people, and even the person who raised them since birth can only get a little close before they back away. Scientists believe this may be a natural trait of dire wolves — they are loners and prefer to be on their own.

Right now, the three dire wolf pups live on a large 2,000-acre site in a secret location. The area is surrounded by 10-foot-high fences and is carefully watched by security guards, drones, and live cameras to keep the wolves safe.

This is just the beginning for Colossal Biosciences. The team plans to bring back other extinct animals too, like the woolly mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger. Although they haven’t succeeded fully with those yet, the team is hopeful.

Colossal’s co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm said in a statement, “This is a huge step forward. It shows that our technology really works.” He shared that their team used DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to create these living dire wolves.

With science moving this fast, who knows what ancient animals we might see walking the Earth again in the near future?