Colossal Biosciences has announced that its de-extinct dire wolves—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—are now breeding-aged and the firm plans to expand the pack later this year. The development marks a significant step for the Texas-based company in its mission to restore extinct species through genetic engineering.
The dire wolf pups, born in late 2024 and early 2025, represent the world’s first de-extinct animals. They have thrived in a secure 2,000-acre preserve, reaching milestones like learning to process whole deer carcasses and now showing readiness for natural breeding behaviors.
“The dire wolf pack is actually breeding-aged at this point,” Matt James, Colossal’s chief animal officer, said, adding “But we will initially grow the pack through assisted reproduction while we create new, genetically diverse individuals.”
The company intends to engineer two to four additional pups to boost genetic diversity before allowing full natural breeding. “The plan is to create an inter-breedable population of dire wolves in which they would eventually breed naturally to create a sustainable population of the world’s first de-extinct species,” James continued.
He further added, “We will grow the population through assisted reproduction initially and then eventually only rely on natural breeding.”
“The dire wolves are doing great,” Ben Lamm, Colossal’s CEO and co-founder, stated., adding “The three dire wolves live on a 2,000-acre secure, expansive ecological preserve that allows us to monitor and manage them while providing them a semi-wild habitat to thrive in. We hope to have more dire wolf pups by the end of the year.”
Colossal reconstructed the dire wolf genome from ancient DNA fragments in bone samples, including a 72,000-year-old skull. Scientists then edited gray wolf embryos to incorporate key traits: a white coat, larger teeth, more muscular build, and distinctive howl. Embryos were implanted in surrogate dogs, with births by caesarean section.
Watch the full story of their creation:
See the pups’ early development and first howls in over 10,000 years:
Colossal is running several parallel de-extinction projects:
- Woolly Mammoth: Aiming for a live calf by late 2028 through Asian elephant genome editing to restore cold-adapted traits and Arctic ecosystem functions.
- Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger): Editing fat-tailed dunnart cells to revive this extinct marsupial predator.
- Dodo: Using Nicobar pigeon cells and stem cell technology to revive the iconic bird extinct for over 350 years.
- Moa: Colossal is working on the giant flightless bird of New Zealand, extinct for about 600 years. Director Peter Jackson has invested, calling it a dream project. Related coverage: Peter Jackson Invests In Genetic Project To Bring Giant Bird Back From Extinction.
In April, Colossal announced the bluebuck antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) as its sixth de-extinction target—the first large African mammal driven to extinction in modern history around 1800.
The striking silvery-blue antelope once roamed South Africa’s grasslands as a grazer and seed disperser. Habitat loss, farming, and overhunting by European settlers led to its disappearance.
“We don’t love that ending. So we’re rewriting it,” the company states. Using high-quality reference genomes and editing roan antelope cells (its closest relative) as surrogates. The project advances reproductive technologies like ovum pick-up, IVF, and embryo transfer for antelopes, with broader benefits for conservation.
Critics note these animals are genetically edited proxies rather than identical clones, and question ecological reintroduction risks in changed environments. Colossal emphasizes ethical animal welfare, semi-wild habitats, and using de-extinction tech to aid living endangered species.
The projects continue to draw global attention, blending advanced biotechnology with conservation goals.
For those clamouring for Jurassic Park style de-extinction of dinosaurs, however, it’s bad news. Colossal addresses common misconceptions in the video below, noting dinosaurs cannot be revived due to DNA degradation, but more recent species are feasible.
Colossal’s official dire wolf page: colossal.com/direwolf.
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