The photo of the 'dire wolves' shared by Colossal Bioscience
Credit: X/@colossal
Dire wolves, the magnificent creatures that captured our fancy since we saw them on HBO's fantasy series Game of Thrones, are no more limited to TV screens: a team of scientists have managed to bring back this particular species of wolves, which became extinct some 12,500 years ago, as the 'world’s first successfully de-extincted animal'.
Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences is behind the achievement and have brought back three dire wolves using ancient DNA, cloning and gene editing, a report by CNN said.
While two male dire wolves were born in October 2024, a third female wolf was born in January this year.
The scientists claimed they used the DNA of the extinct animal's closest living relative, the gray wolf, for their revival of the animal. The dire wolf was a predator that used to roam North America nearly 12,000 years ago.
They were larger in size than the gray wolves and had slightly thicker fur and a stronger jaw.
The two male wolf cubs have been named Romulus and Remus, after the founders of Rome who were suckled by wolves. The third female wolf pup, meanwhile, has been named Khaleesi after none other than Game of Thrones' Daenerys Targaryen.
The scientists said the wolves are living on a 2,000-acre site at an undisclosed location enclosed by 10-foot-tall fence and also being monitored by security personnel, drones and live cameras.
Despite only being 6 months old, the male wolf pups are almost 4 feet and weigh over 36 kg, scientists say.
But Colossal Biosciences isn't stopping at just dire wolves: the biotech company said they have also been working toward resurrecting the mammoth, dodo and Tasmanian tiger since 2021.
The world has reacted to the news too, with Tesla boss and billionaire Elon Musk among them: the mercurial billionaire has asked for the scientists to create a 'pet wooly mammoth'.