Scientists have brought the long-extinct dire wolf back to life, achieving a milestone in the domain of genetic engineering. The achievement opens the door for new possibilities as well as questions about the future of de-extinction.
Two pups, named Romulus and Remus, have emerged as the first living examples of the species in over 12,000 years. Just six months old, they already weigh over 36 kilograms and measure nearly four feet in length, showcasing their striking resemblance to the fierce predator that once roamed North and South America, according to TIME.
The revival has been headed by Texas-based biotech firm Colossal Biosciences, which used DNA recovered from ancient remains to recreate the dire wolf genome. The process involved combining gene-editing tools, cloning and the DNA of the dire wolf's closest living relative — the grey wolf.
Meet Romulus and Remus—the first animals ever resurrected from extinction. The dire wolf, lost to history over 10,000 years ago, has returned. Reborn on October 1, 2024, these remarkable pups were brought back to life using ancient DNA extracted from fossilized remains.
Watch… pic.twitter.com/XwPz0DFoP5The dire wolf, made popular in recent years by Game of Thrones, originally became extinct nearly 12,500 years ago, according to a report in CNN. However, extensive fossil evidence across the Americas gave the researchers a genetic starting point.
“The idea that we could just take a vial of blood, isolate EPCs, culture them and clone from them, and they have a pretty high cloning efficiency – we think it's a game changer,” said George Church, Colossal co-founder and professor of genetics at both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reported TIME.
While Romulus and Remus are physically strong and living under close supervision, their behaviour remains different from modern wolves. The usual joyful behaviour seen in puppies — running up for cuddles and belly rubs — is entirely missing. Instead, they maintain a distance, often backing away when approached. Even their primary caretaker, who has raised them since birth, can only get so close before they flinch and retreat. This reserved, instinct-driven response is not that of a domesticated dog — it's the behaviour of a truly wild wolf.
The pups were initially fed by a surrogate and later bottle-fed by Colossal's team. They currently reside in a secure, undisclosed 2,000-acre site, surrounded by 10-foot fences and monitored around the clock by drones and live security feeds.
A third pup, a female, was born earlier this year, bringing the number of revived dire wolves to three. The births occurred on Oct. 1, 2024, and Jan. 30, 2025, respectively.
Colossal Biosciences considers the development a major success in its broader mission. The company is also working on bringing back other extinct species, including the woolly mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger, though with mixed results so far.
The announcement has also captured the imagination of the public and global leaders. Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, reshared the news on X (formerly Twitter), posting, “Please make a miniature pet woolly mammoth.”
Please make a miniature pet wooly mammoth https://t.co/UxoIWmzq6h
What this revival means is that, for now, Romulus and Remus stand as living proof that extinction may no longer mean forever.
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