- By Shailvee Tiwari
- Tue, 08 Apr 2025 11:12 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Dire Wolves Resurrection: What once roamed the ancient world and later found fame in fantasy fiction is no longer a creature of the past. The dire wolves, best known today as the fierce companion of House Stark in Game of Thrones, have officially returned — not in books or on screens, but in real life. And yes, it’s all thanks to cutting-edge science.
A Dallas Biotech Company Makes History:
At the heart of this groundbreaking moment is Colossal Biosciences, a biotech company based in Dallas, Texas. On a mission to reverse extinction, Colossal recently announced the birth of three genetically engineered dire wolf puppies. The company has proudly introduced the trio as Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi marking a huge leap in what scientists call “de-extinction.”
Bringing Back A Beast from The Ice Age:
The direwolf vanished from Earth more than 10,000 years ago, yet through advanced genetic engineering, it's back — and breathing. Colossal’s team used ancient DNA samples, including one from a 13,000-year-old tooth and another from a 72,000-year-old skull, to recreate the long-lost species.
Ben Lamm, Colossal’s CEO and co-founder, shared the magic behind this science in a press release:
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies.”
He added, “It was once said, ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
Meet The Pups: Romulus, Remus And Khaleesi:
The first two pups, Romulus and Remus, were born on October 1, 2024. In January, Colossal welcomed a female dire wolf named Khaleesi. The company has also launched a YouTube channel to share updates on the pups' lives, offering the public a rare window into what it looks like when an extinct animal comes back into the world. Colossal Biosciences shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, and the post has already garnered over 7 million views, sparking excitement and curiosity across social media.
Watch The Post:
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.
— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) April 7, 2025
Watch… pic.twitter.com/XwPz0DFoP5
Not Just Wolves – A Bigger Dream Ahead:
Colossal’s success with the dire wolf is only the beginning. The company, founded in 2021 by Ben Lamm and Harvard geneticist George Church, aims to bring back more extinct species. High on their list are the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine), the dodo, and they’ve already made headlines by engineering a Woolly Mouse. Valued at nearly $10 billion, Colossal is pushing the boundaries of conservation and rewriting what we thought was possible with genetics.
A Fantasy Turned Reality:
While dire wolves might sound like creatures pulled straight out of a fantasy novel, they were very real — and now they are again. These powerful predators were once part of Earth’s ecosystem and have long been mistaken as mythical due to their fame in George R.R. Martin’s world.
Surprisingly, George R.R. Martin himself is playing a role in this real-world resurrection — not as a storyteller, but as an investor and cultural advisor to Colossal. Speaking about the project, in a statement quoted by USA Today, Martin said:
“Many people view dire wolves as mythical creatures that only exist in a fantasy world, but in reality, they have a rich history of contributing to the American ecosystem. I get the luxury to write about magic, but Ben and Colossal have created magic by bringing these majestic beasts back to our world.” And just like that, the dire wolf, a beast of both legend and history, walks the Earth once more.