US company says it has brought dire wolves back from extinction

An ambitious blend of science fiction and synthetic biology enters reality

In a development that sounds straight out of a science fiction novel, a US-based biotechnology company has announced that it has successfully brought back the dire wolf — an apex predator that roamed North America over 10,000 years ago and was believed to be extinct since the end of the last Ice Age.

The company, which has not yet publicly revealed the full scientific process, claims to have used advanced gene-editing and cloning technologies to recreate the extinct species using preserved DNA samples and closely related modern canids as surrogates. The revelation has sparked a flurry of interest in both scientific and conservationist communities, while raising ethical and ecological questions about de-extinction.

A Prehistoric Predator Returns

Dire wolves (Canis dirus), made famous in pop culture through shows like Game of Thrones, were real animals — larger and more muscular than today's gray wolves, with stronger jaws adapted to crush bone. Though they coexisted with other Ice Age megafauna such as saber-toothed cats and mammoths, dire wolves disappeared roughly 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and the extinction of their prey.

The company behind the announcement, called PaleoGen Labs, says it has been working on de-extinction projects for over a decade. “This is not just a proof of concept — it’s a milestone in synthetic biology,” said Dr. Rebecca Harlan, the lead geneticist at PaleoGen, in a press statement. “We’re not just talking about bringing back a species. We’re talking about restoring balance to ecosystems, reviving lost genetics, and learning from the past to protect the future.”

How Was It Done?

According to the company’s brief, scientists started with ancient DNA extracted from dire wolf remains found in the La Brea Tar Pits and other fossil sites. After sequencing the DNA, they identified a close match in the genome of the gray wolf and the African wild dog. Using CRISPR-Cas9 and other gene-editing tools, they modified the embryo of a modern canine to replicate the traits of the dire wolf.

The embryo was then successfully implanted into a surrogate, resulting in what the company describes as a “first-generation neo-dire wolf.” The animals are currently being observed in a controlled wildlife facility in a remote part of Montana.

Ethical and Environmental Concerns

While the breakthrough has stirred excitement, it also comes with a wave of concern from environmentalists and bioethicists. Critics argue that bringing back extinct species may have unintended ecological consequences and distract from efforts to protect currently endangered wildlife.

“There’s a vast difference between recreating the DNA of an extinct animal and ensuring it can survive — let alone thrive — in a modern ecosystem,” said Dr. Ellen Martin, an ecologist at the University of Colorado. “We don’t know how these animals will interact with present-day species, or what diseases they may carry or be vulnerable to.”

Animal welfare advocates also question the ethics of using surrogates and cloning methods that may involve high failure rates, deformities, or suffering.

The Future of De-Extinction

This isn't the first time the world has seen efforts to revive extinct animals. Projects aiming to bring back the woolly mammoth and the passenger pigeon are also underway, with varying degrees of success. However, PaleoGen’s announcement marks one of the first claims of actual living specimens from a long-extinct species walking the Earth again.

The company insists it is proceeding with caution and plans to collaborate with wildlife agencies, indigenous communities, and conservation experts before any rewilding initiatives take place.

"We are not creating monsters. We're restoring what nature lost," Dr. Harlan added.

For now, the “neo-dire wolves” remain behind high-security enclosures, watched closely by researchers. But their existence may usher in a new era — one where extinction might no longer mean forever.