Scientists have not truly brought the extinct dire wolf back to life. While Colossal Biosciences, a U.S.-based biotech company, announced in April 2025 that it had created three wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—engineered to resemble dire wolves, these animals are not genuine revivals of the extinct species. Instead, they are genetically modified gray wolves with certain traits altered to mimic those of dire wolves.

What Was Achieved -
Colossal extracted ancient DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull of dire wolves. Using this genetic information, scientists edited 14 genes in the gray wolf genome to replicate some physical characteristics of dire wolves. These modified embryos were then implanted into domestic dog surrogates, resulting in the birth of the three pups.

Scientific and Ethical Considerations -
Experts caution that these animals are not true dire wolves. The genetic modifications represent only a fraction of the differences between gray wolves and dire wolves, which diverged over 5 million years ago. Therefore, the resulting animals are predominantly gray wolves with some altered traits.
Colossal's project has sparked discussions about the ethics and feasibility of de-extinction efforts. While the company aims to use biotechnology for conservation purposes, critics argue that such projects may blur the lines between science and spectacle, potentially diverting attention from preserving existing endangered species. ​

In summary, while Colossal Biosciences has made strides in genetic engineering to recreate certain traits of the extinct dire wolf, the animals produced are not true dire wolves but modified gray wolves. This development highlights both the potential and the controversies surrounding de-extinction technologies.​