The Dire Wolf Is Back! What It Is and How Scientists Just Brought an Extinct Species Back to Life

Most of us learned about extinction in high school biology, but did you know that de-extinction is real, too? The dire wolf, which vanished over 10,000 years ago, has become the first example of a species brought back from extinction. Keep reading to discover how scientists achieved this groundbreaking feat—and what the return of this ancient predator means for the future.

What is a dire wolf?

The dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) was one of the most formidable predators of the Ice Age, roaming North and South America over 10,000 years ago. Larger and more robust than today’s gray wolves, dire wolves had powerful jaws and teeth capable of crushing bone. While these creatures gained fictional fame through Game of Thrones, they were very real—measuring up to five feet in length and weighing as much as 150 pounds. Dire wolves primarily hunted large prey like bison and ancient horses, often traveling in packs.

Though they disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene epoch, their fossilized remains, especially those discovered in places like the La Brea Tar Pits, have fascinated scientists for decades.

Now, thanks to pioneering genetic science, this long-extinct predator has made a dramatic return.

How the dire wolf was brought back to life

Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company, has announced a major breakthrough in de-extinction science: the birth of three healthy dire wolf pups. 

Using advanced gene-editing technology, scientists at Colossal combined ancient dire wolf DNA with the genetic code of the gray wolf—its closest living relative.

To achieve this, the team extracted genetic material from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull, enabling them to recreate key traits of the long-extinct predator. 

“This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works,” said Ben Lamm, Colossal’s co-founder and CEO, in a news release.

The dire wolf pups are now living on a secure, 2,000-acre site at an undisclosed location. Enclosed by 10-foot-tall “zoo-grade” fencing and monitored by drones, security personnel and live camera feeds, the facility has been certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Colossal has been quietly working on the dire wolf project for years, though it hadn’t publicized its efforts until now. And this is just the beginning. Since 2021, the company has been pursuing the resurrection of several extinct species, including the woolly mammoth, dodo and Tasmanian tiger.

More about the dire wolves’ de-extinction

The dire wolf, fictionally featured in HBO’s Game of Thrones, was once a powerful predator roaming North America.

To bring it back, scientists at Colossal used DNA from two ancient fossils to piece together the full genetic blueprint of the species. By comparing this DNA with that of modern-day canines (like wolves, jackals, and foxes) they were able to pinpoint the genes responsible for unique dire wolf traits, including their thick fur and white coats.

Using this information, the team edited the DNA of gray wolf cells, making 20 specific changes across 14 genes. They then cloned the best cells and implanted them into donor eggs, leading to the birth of the first dire wolf pups.

According to Colossal, the healthy embryos were implanted into surrogate animals for interspecies gestation, resulting in three successful pregnancies and the birth of the first de-extinct dire wolves. The company confirmed to CNN that the surrogates used were large, mixed-breed domestic dogs.

Nearly 12,500 years after the species went extinct, two male dire wolf pups were born—one in the fall of 2024 and the other in the winter of 2025.

Inside the gene-editing process that revived the species

While the return of the dire wolf is undeniably novel and exciting, it raises an important question: What does this breakthrough actually mean for science?

For Colossal Biosciences, the answer lies in the potential applications of de-extinction technology.

The company hopes that the methods used to revive the dire wolf will help preserve the DNA of endangered species—and possibly save them from extinction. 

They’ve already seen success: using a less invasive cloning technique developed during the dire wolf project, Colossal produced two litters of cloned red wolves, one of the world’s most critically endangered canids.