By David Simeon
Dire wolves, long believed to have gone extinct some 13,000 years ago, are said to have been brought back to life. On April 7th, this claim went viral on the internet, as footage and documentaries were released showcasing a de-extinction project that unveiled the first living dire wolves in millennia.
The company Colossal Biosciences appears to have brought back—or at least created something remarkably close to—the enormous dire wolf species that gained widespread popularity through the TV show Game of Thrones. This was achieved through a process known as “de-extinction.” So far, the project has produced three healthy pups: two six-month-old males and a two-month-old female. The pups were born via surrogate dog mothers.
The brothers, named Romulus and Remus, along with their sister Khaleesi, represent more than just a scientific triumph—they symbolize the potential to restore lost elements of our planet’s biodiversity.
While the ethical and ecological implications of de-extinction continue to spark global debate, the successful revival of dire wolves opens a new frontier in genetic science and raises important questions about what species could be brought back next.