Is the dire wolf back? That question swept across the internet after a biotechnology company announced the birth of wolf pups with physical traits similar to the famous species that went extinct thousands of years ago.
The story sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie — but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Before believing that the prehistoric era is making a comeback, it’s important to understand what actually happened.
What was the Dire Wolf?
The dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) was one of the largest predators of the Ice Age.
It roamed the Americas for thousands of years before going extinct around 10,000 years ago, at the end of the Pleistocene epoch.
More robust than modern wolves, the dire wolf hunted large prey such as bison and giant sloths. Its fame grew even more when it inspired the giant wolves featured in the Game of Thrones series.
Despite its fearsome name, the dire wolf wasn’t drastically different from today’s wolves. What made it unique was its imposing physical build, adapted to survive in extreme environments and take down massive prey.
The controversy behind the “return”
In April 2025, the American company Colossal Biosciences made headlines by announcing the birth of three wolf pups with traits inspired by the dire wolf. Named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi — nods to mythology and pop culture — the animals reignited the debate around de-extinction.
The team of scientists used gene-editing techniques to modify gray wolves, inserting traits similar to those of the dire wolf.
They altered genes related to fur color, body size, and skull structure. According to Colossal, the goal was to create a “functional version” of the extinct species.
But here’s the crucial point: these animals are not true dire wolves. They were not cloned from ancient DNA, like in Jurassic Park. Instead, they are modern wolves with some genetic modifications based on fragments of the Aenocyon dirus genome.
What are scientists saying?
Despite the excitement from Colossal Biosciences, several experts are skeptical about the experiment’s legitimacy. Paleogeneticist Nic Rawlence, for instance, explained that recreating the complete DNA of the dire wolf is virtually impossible because the available fragments are extremely degraded. He compared the process to trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle with missing and blurry pieces.
Moreover, the company has yet to publish its findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals, which raises doubts about the credibility of the project. Many scientists view it more as a marketing stunt disguised as a scientific breakthrough.
What about the risks?
Even if it were possible to perfectly recreate the dire wolf, several ethical issues would arise. Introducing an extinct species into a modern ecosystem could cause environmental imbalances. Additionally, the animals themselves might suffer, unable to adapt to a world completely different from the one they once knew.
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There’s also an ongoing debate about the ethics of using animals as subjects in genetic experiments.
Is it worth investing so many resources to revive extinct species while countless existing ones are disappearing today?
So, has the Dire Wolf returned?
Not exactly. What we have are modern wolves with some genetic features similar to those of the dire wolf. While the achievement by Colossal Biosciences is impressive from a technological standpoint, it doesn’t represent the true return of the extinct species.
This case highlights how fast science is advancing — but also reminds us to stay grounded. Not everything that sounds extraordinary is exactly what it seems. And in the end, the dire wolf remains a legend of prehistory — at least for now.
