The dire wolf, the legendary beast that after prowled North America and discovered new life in Game of Thrones, is not only a delusion. Thanks to Colossal Biosciences, a biotech startup recognized for its formidable de-extinction efforts, the dire wolf has formally returned as a genetically engineered model that walks, howls, and appears to be like the half.
The Dallas-based firm introduced that it has efficiently created three dwell dire wolf pups by way of gene-editing know-how, utilizing CRISPR to modify the DNA of recent grey wolves. The ensuing animals carefully resemble the huge predators that went extinct practically 10,000 years in the past. The pups — two males named Romulus and Remus, and a feminine named Khaleesi — are at the moment dwelling in a non-public, 2,000-acre protect licensed by the American Humane Society.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” stated Colossal co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm. “Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin, who has lengthy immortalised the dire wolf in popular culture by way of House Stark’s sigil and storyline, joined Colossal as a cultural adviser and investor. He even visited the new dire wolves in particular person, calling them “a part of American ecological history.”
Filmmaker Peter Jackson additionally performed a job in the dramatic reveal. An investor in Colossal, Jackson loaned the unique Iron Throne prop — the 330-pound model from Game of Thrones — for a photograph shoot. Romulus and Remus have been flown to Dallas to be photographed lounging atop the throne.
With the dire wolf’s return, Colossal goals to reintroduce the apex predator into safe ecosystems throughout North America — beginning with Indigenous lands. Colossal says the milestone effort is a proof-of-concept for its de-extinction platform. Alongside the dire wolves, the firm has cloned litters of critically endangered crimson wolves and plans to revive species like the woolly mammoth and dodo hen.
Published – April 08, 2025 11:04 am IST
