Colossal Biosciences announced the successful birth of three dire wolves, marking what the company calls the world’s first de-extinction of an animal species.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies," said Colossal CEO Ben Lamm.
The monumental scientific feat resulted in two adolescent males named Romulus and Remus and a female puppy named Khaleesi, the company said.
The animals are being housed on an ecological preserve certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Colossal. The facility reportedly includes zoo-grade fencing, live camera surveillance, on-site veterinary care and natural dens. The wolves will remain at the facility for the duration of their lives.
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“Colossal has achieved American Humane Society Certification, the prestigious designation ensuring excellence in animal welfare and care,” said Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., CEO of the American Humane Society. “The technology they are pursuing may be the key to reversing the sixth mass extinction and making extinction events a thing of the past.”
The company said it plans to assess the wolves’ readiness to move into other managed care facilities and hopes to restore the species in large, protected ecological areas, potentially on indigenous lands.
The dire wolf had been extinct for over 12,500 years and was more recently made famous in HBO’s "Game of Thrones."
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