Colossal Biosciences Dire Wolf Project facts for kids

Have you ever heard of the dire wolf? It was a huge wolf-like animal that went extinct about 10,000 years ago. A company called Colossal Biosciences Inc. started a project to bring back an animal that looks just like it using modern science. This is called the Colossal Biosciences Dire Wolf Project.

Using genetic engineering, a way to change an organism's DNA, scientists created three special gray wolves (Canis lupus). They were born in 2024 and 2025 and were named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.

However, many people have pointed out that these animals are not true dire wolves. They are gray wolves that have been changed to look like dire wolves. The company itself has said it's impossible to bring back an identical copy of an extinct animal.

Meet the 'Dire Wolves'

Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi are three gray wolves whose genes were changed to make them look like the extinct dire wolf.

The two males, Romulus and Remus, were born on October 1, 2024. They are named after the famous twin brothers from Roman myths who were said to have been raised by a wolf. The female, Khaleesi, was born on January 30, 2025. Her name comes from the character Daenerys Targaryen in the book series A Song of Ice and Fire.

Even though Colossal Biosciences first called them the first living dire wolves in thousands of years, they are technically a new type of gray wolf. The original dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) was a different species. A top scientist at the company, Beth Shapiro, explained that the pups are "grey wolves with 20 edits." She said calling them "dire wolves" is more of a nickname than a scientific fact.

How Were They Created?

Creating these unique wolves was a complex process that combined ancient history with modern technology.

Finding the DNA

Scientists started by studying ancient DNA from real dire wolves. They got samples from two places:

• A 13,000-year-old tooth found in Sheriden Cave, Ohio.
• A 72,000-year-old ear bone found in American Falls, Idaho.

Instead of using the old DNA directly, they compared it to the DNA of modern gray wolves. This helped them find the key differences that made dire wolves special.

Editing the Genes

The team identified 14 genes that they could change to give a gray wolf the traits of a dire wolf. They used a powerful tool called CRISPR to edit the genes. Think of it like a "find and replace" function for DNA.

They took special cells from gray wolf blood and made about 20 changes to the DNA. These changes were designed to create traits like a larger body, a wider head, and a pale coat color. Interestingly, five of the changes were to give the wolves a light-colored coat, a trait seen in some modern dogs.

These newly edited cells were then placed into egg cells. These eggs grew into embryos in the lab. Out of 45 engineered eggs, four healthy embryos were ready for the next step.

Surrogate Mothers

The four embryos were placed into surrogate mother dogs. These were mixed-breed dogs chosen for their good health and size. They needed to be big enough to carry the larger wolf pups.

A dog named Skyla was one of the important surrogate mothers. The pregnancies were watched carefully with weekly ultrasounds. To make sure the births were safe, all three pups were delivered by a planned caesarean section, which is a type of surgery. The mother dogs recovered well and were reunited with the pups.

Special Traits and Behaviors

The genetic changes gave the wolves some key differences from regular gray wolves.

Physical Traits

The most obvious change is their pale, whitish fur. They also have a larger body, a more powerful shoulder structure, a wider head, and bigger teeth and jaws. Their legs are also more muscular.

By the time they were six months old, the male wolves were almost four ft (1.2 metres) long and weighed about 36.3 kg (80 pounds). Scientists expect them to grow to be six ft (1.8 metres) long and weigh 68 kg (150 pounds) when they are adults.

Wolf-like Behavior

From a very young age, the pups acted like wild wolves, not dogs. They started howling at just two weeks old. They also showed natural stalking and hunting instincts.

The wolves are shy around people, even their caretakers. They keep their distance and will back away if a person gets too close. This shows that even with the genetic changes, their wild wolf behaviors remain strong.

How Are They Cared For?

Romulus, Remus, and their "sister" Khaleesi live together as a small pack. They are kept in a safe and private place to protect them from being disturbed.

Their home is a huge 2,000-acre (810 ha) nature reserve in the United States. It is surrounded by a 10-foot (3.0 m) tall fence. Inside this large area, there is a smaller 6-acre (2.4 ha) space with a veterinary clinic, a shelter for bad weather, and natural dens for them to use. They have a vet team watching over them 24/7.

To celebrate their creation, the pups were once photographed sitting on the original Iron Throne prop from the TV show based on the A Song of Ice and Fire books. This was a nod to the dire wolves featured in the popular fantasy story.

Their diet includes deer, beef, and horse meat. They also eat organ meats and are given special supplements to stay healthy. They are given whole pieces of meat so they can practice natural tearing behaviors, but they are not fed live animals.

See also

In Spanish: Rómulo, Remo y Khaleesi para niños

• Breeding back
• De-extinction
• Woolly mouse – Another genetically modified animal from Colossal Biosciences