Colossal Biosciences claims they have de-extincted the dire wolf

Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences has announced a monumental achievement: the de-extinction of the dire wolf, a species that vanished around 12,500 years ago. Scientists at Colossal utilized ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technology to create three dire wolf pups by altering the genes of the gray wolf, the dire wolf’s closest living relative. This groundbreaking feat, announced on Monday, April 7, 2025, has resulted in a hybrid species closely resembling its prehistoric ancestor.

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The dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus), the inspiration for the formidable canines in “Game of Thrones,” was a top predator of North America, larger than gray wolves with a wider head, thick fur, and stronger jaws. While Colossal has been publicly focused on resurrecting the mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger since 2021, their work on the dire wolf remained under wraps until this announcement.

Colossal co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm hailed this as the first demonstration of their de-extinction technology stack’s success. The team extracted DNA from fossils dating back 13,000 and 72,000 years to produce healthy dire wolf puppies. These pups reside in a secure 2,000-acre facility monitored by security, drones, and cameras, certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the USDA.

Utilizing ancient DNA, Colossal assembled two high-quality dire wolf genomes, comparing them to living canids to identify genetic variants specific to dire wolves, such as their white coats and thicker fur. Dire wolves and gray wolves share 99.5% of their DNA. Chief Science Officer Beth Shapiro clarified that their goal is functional copies, focusing on key trait variants.

The process involved editing gray wolf cells, making 20 edits in 14 genes before cloning promising cell lines and transferring them into dog eggs. Healthy embryos were then implanted into large, mixed-breed hounds serving as surrogate mothers. Eight transfers resulted in the births of two male pups on October 1, 2024, and a female pup on January 30, 2025.

Chief Animal Officer Matt James noted the pups are “habituated to people” but not tame, exhibiting juvenile behaviors and skittishness. He anticipates observing more distinct behaviors as they mature.

Colossal advisor Love Dalén explained that the company created a hybrid genome using CRISPR to replace gray wolf gene variants with dire wolf traits. While acknowledging scientific debate on the definition of a de-extincted animal, he stated that these animals carry dire wolf genes, making them phenotypically more like dire wolves than anything seen in millennia.

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Shapiro emphasized that the team successfully resurrected the “functional essence” of the dire wolf by identifying and replicating key genetic differences.

Colossal, which has raised significant funding, hopes the technologies developed for the dire wolf can also aid endangered species. They have already produced cloned red wolf litters using a less invasive cloning method developed during the dire wolf research. Michael Knapp, an associate professor at the University of Otago, acknowledged the technology’s potential for conservation, including editing harmful mutations and introducing adaptive traits.

While critics raise concerns about resource allocation and animal welfare, Colossal appears to be addressing these issues. However, the ecological role of these resurrected dire wolves remains uncertain.