Tue Apr 08 05:34:15 UTC 2025: **Headline:** De-Extinction Triumph: Dire Wolves Return After 10,000 Years

**Byline:** [The Hindu Staff]

**Date:** April 8, 2025

**Dallas, TX** – In a groundbreaking scientific achievement, Colossal Biosciences has successfully brought back the dire wolf, a species extinct for nearly 10,000 years. Three dire wolf pups – two males, Romulus and Remus, and a female, Khaleesi – were created using CRISPR gene-editing technology, modifying the DNA of modern gray wolves with genetic material from ancient specimens.

The pups, born on October 1, 2024, are thriving in a 2,000-acre private preserve certified by the American Humane Society. Colossal Biosciences, known for its ambitious de-extinction projects, utilized DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to achieve this milestone.

Co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm hailed the achievement as a testament to the team’s dedication and highlighted its broader implications for conservation efforts. Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin, a cultural advisor and investor in Colossal, visited the pups, describing them as “a part of American ecological history.” Filmmaker Peter Jackson, another investor, contributed the original Iron Throne prop from Game of Thrones for a memorable photoshoot featuring the pups.

Colossal plans to reintroduce dire wolves into secure North American ecosystems, beginning with Indigenous lands. This successful de-extinction serves as a proof-of-concept for the company’s broader ambitions, which include reviving other extinct species such as the woolly mammoth and dodo bird. The company has also cloned litters of endangered red wolves. The return of the dire wolf marks a significant step forward in de-extinction technology and conservation efforts.

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