In a scientific leap that could redefine humanity’s relationship with the natural world, Colossal Biosciences, a U.S.-based biotech firm, has announced the successful revival of the dire wolf — a species that vanished roughly 13,000 years ago.
Colossal, already known for its ambitious mission to bring back the woolly mammoth by 2028, revealed the dire wolf breakthrough in an exclusive interview with ABC News. The company also announced it had cloned four critically endangered red wolves, a species with fewer than 20 believed to remain in the wild.
“We’re not a nonprofit or academic institution — we’re building real products and technologies,” said Ben Lamm, Colossal’s CEO and co-founder. The startup boasts a roster of high-profile investors, including Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Paris Hilton, and filmmaker Peter Jackson.
The revival effort took shape in Colossal’s Dallas lab, where scientists engineered the dire wolf by modifying the DNA of a close relative — the gray wolf.
“We used gray wolf cells, which are already about 99.5% genetically identical to dire wolves,” explained Colossal’s chief scientist, Beth Shapiro. “Then we edited multiple parts of their DNA to match that of dire wolves.”
To bring the modified embryos to term, the team used surrogate dogs, all of which were later adopted through the Humane Society. According to Colossal, no animals were harmed during the process.
The first two dire wolves — named Romulus and Remus, after the legendary founders of Rome — were born in late 2024. A third pup, Khalesi, named after a character from Game of Thrones (where dire wolves feature prominently), arrived in early 2025. All three are now living on a secured 2,000-acre wildlife preserve at an undisclosed location.
“When I saw them and they were white, I just knew — we’d done it,” Shapiro told ABC News. “Those are dire wolves.”
However, not everyone is convinced.
Dr. Julie Meachen, a wolf expert and co-author with Shapiro on a 2021 study concluding dire wolves and gray wolves diverged millions of years ago, expressed skepticism.
“I don’t think these are true dire wolves,” Meachen said. “What we have is a modified gray wolf that resembles a dire wolf — but it’s something new.”
Shapiro disagrees, arguing that appearance, behavior, and ecological function are valid markers of species identity. “If it looks like a dire wolf, behaves like one, and fills its ecological niche — that’s success.”
While the scientific community debates the classification, Colossal remains focused on practical conservation. Its cloning of red wolves aims to support broader biodiversity efforts — a mission that Shapiro says could revolutionize wildlife preservation.
North Dakota has even partnered with the company, hoping to use its technologies to help revive its declining bison population.
Beyond conservation, Lamm believes Colossal’s breakthroughs could benefit human medicine as well. Still, some urge caution.
Columbia University bioethicist Dr. Robert Klitzman warned of unforeseen consequences: “You could accidentally create a more aggressive species — a super wolf or super rat. We have to tread carefully.”
Despite the concerns, Klitzman acknowledged the potential benefits: “If humans are responsible for a species’ extinction, and we have the means to restore it to a suitable habitat, there could be value in that.”
As Colossal accelerates its mission to bring back the woolly mammoth within three years, Shapiro emphasized that avoiding innovation is also a risk.
“If we reject genetic engineering out of fear, we may lose our chance to save what’s left,” she said.
Whether bold or controversial, Colossal’s work is undeniably pushing the boundaries of science — and possibly rewriting the future of life on Earth.
