Dire Wolves, an animal that many Game of Thrones fans have presumed totally fictional, are back from extinction. The last dire wolf howl was heard on Earth roughly 10,000 years ago–that is, until Colossal Biosciences’ two new Dire Wolf pups, named Romulus and Remus after the mythical twin brothers who founded Rome, were born October 1, 2024. A third dire wolf pup, Khaleesi, was born January 30, 2025.
Exclusive images of Colossal’s dire wolf pups themed to George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones saga were shared with us below. They showcase Romulus and Remus on the Iron Throne, with a smart homage to the series’ iconic “Winter is Coming” warning.
See more images of the dire wolves below and read on to discover how the dire wolves were brought back from extinction, and how Colossal Biosciences is matching this unbelievable achievement with actionable progress.
The Dire Wolf Highlights The Feasibility Of Colossal Biosciences’ Impossible-Sounding Mission
The successful birth of three dire wolf pups is an achievement destined to spark the imagination of humans around the world, but it’s just the beginning of Colossal Biosciences’ ambitions. In a soon-to-be released interview with ScreenRant, Colossal co-founder Ben Lamm spoke about two of the company’s primary goals.
One is the eventual creation of a Pleistocene-type habitat in the northern region of Earth (a perfect filming location for a Game of Thrones spinoff) complete with currently extinct species. But another major goal of Colossal is to prevent extinction as we know it altogether.
Lamm emphasized the idea that the dire wolves’ birth, however incredible, is only part of the company’s current conservation efforts. Alongside the reconstruction of that species, Colossal worked to birth new red wolf pups to save that critically endangered species. The wolf research that helped return the dire wolf ultimately led to the company birthing multiple new red wolves into a world that only has roughly 25 of that species still roaming free.
In a world where Jurassic World Rebirth’s velociraptor designs keep changing to reflect current science, Colossal has just proven that the de-extinction of long-gone animals is a real possibility. These dire wolves will not be released into the wild (keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming interview for more), but their existence–plus the birth of new red wolves that will make it out of Colossal’s care and into certain nature preserves–is a paradigm shift in the science of conservation.
Colossal will ultimately need the support of governments, landowners, conservation activists, and more to find out how their work can best help the natural world, but for now, winter has certainly come.