Previously extinct Ice Age dire wolves re-born with biotech: See the adorable pups thrive

Shown at 15 days old are two male dire wolves, Romulus and Remus, born by surrogate dog mothers from fertilized and implanted genetically-edited eggs with the ancient DNA of dire wolves.

CEO of Colossal Ben Lamm said their team took DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth, found in Ohio, and a 72,000 year old skull to produce the healthy dire wolf puppies.

Wolves became a focus at Colossal after a meeting with The MHA (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara) Nation in central North Dakota. While talking with the tribal leaders about research on buffalo and bison conservation, "they told us there's not enough going into wolf conservation," Lamm said, and began discussing the dire wolf and wolves' importance to generations of Native Americans.

The dire wolf is a symbol that "carries the echoes of our ancestors, their wisdom, and their connection to the wild,” said MHA Nation Tribal Chairman Mark Fox in a statement. “Its presence would remind us of our responsibility as stewards of the Earth – to protect not just the wolf, but the delicate balance of life itself."

The dire wolves live on Colossal's 2,000+ acre secure expansive ecological preserve, which is certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The wolves are continuously monitored through on-site live cameras, security personnel, and drone tracking to ensure their safety and welfare.

Romulus and Remus, two male dire wolves, were born from fertilized dire wolf eggs implanted into and born by surrogate dog mothers. Here they are one month old in November 2024.

"I think for me the most exciting thing about this project is that shows how we can use cutting edge technologies in molecular biology to help protect and preserve populations of animals that are at risk of extinction today," Elinor Karlsson, the director of vertebrate genomics at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and a geneticist who's a member of Colossal's advisory board, told USA TODAY.

Romulus at five months old. Using the genetic data, researchers could confirm the gray wolf as the closest living relative of the dire wolf – they share 99.5% of their DNA code.

Khaleesi, the third dire wolf birthed by the biotech firm, was born in January 2025. She was named after the "Game of Thrones" character.

One of the red wolves born by Colossal. During the project to de-extinct the dire wolf, Colossal researchers developed a cloning shortcut using blood instead of tissue samples from wild coyote-Red Wolf mix wolves, which carry Red Wolf DNA, to birth two litters of Red Wolf puppies.

Romulus and Remus at about three months old.

"They are super friendly because we've raised them ... (chief animal officer) Matt (James) bottle fed them when they were just young pups. But they are starting to come into their own, where they're acting more and more like wolves."

Remus is seen at five months old.

Romulus is seen at five months old.

The Colossal Woolly Mouse was bred to have characteristics that could eventually be used in creating a next-generation woolly mammoth embryo to be born by a female elephant.

Colossal chief science officer Beth Shapiro, at left, and Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, with an image of the dodo, an extinct bird that Colossal has announced it hopes to bring back with its biotech and genetic technology.