Dire Wolves Are (Sort Of) Back – But Should You Get One as a Pet? LOL, Maybe Not.
- Jessica Ramirez
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Ever wondered what it’d be like to walk your very own dire wolves? Science just might have made that possible—sort of. But should you get one as a pet? Let’s just say… your couch might not survive. Dive into the wild, hilarious truth behind the “return” of everyone’s favorite prehistoric predator.
Science has done it again! The dire wolf—yes, that ancient, hulking, fang-flashing predator from over 10,000 years ago—is back. Well, kind of. Meet Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi: three pups born not of legend, but of gene-editing wizardry and a splash of Jurassic Park ambition. And while these aren’t exactly your Game of Thrones-style beasties, they’re definitely not your average backyard beagles either.
So, what’s the deal?
Colossal Biosciences, the biotech company that also wants to bring back woolly mammoths (because why not?), has now turned its focus to the dire wolf. Using ancient DNA from a tooth and skull that are tens of thousands of years old—because regular puppies just don’t have enough dramatic backstory—they isolated 14 key genes that made dire wolves, well, dire.
Then, in a move that would make Dr. Frankenstein raise an eyebrow, they took those genes and edited them into gray wolf cells. The edited embryos were implanted into domestic dog surrogates. Cue dramatic lightning and eerie howling. A few months later, out came the world’s first “de-extincted” (ish) dire wolf puppies.
But let’s be clear here: these are not 100% dire wolves. They’re genetically modified gray wolves, with a sprinkle of ancient wolf DNA and a dash of sci-fi spice. They’ve got some traits of their Ice Age ancestors, sure—maybe bigger jaws, stronger bones, and probably an attitude—but they’re not exactly prehistoric tanks. They're more like "Dire Wolf Lite™."
So... could you have one as a pet?
Alright, before you go imagining yourself walking a dire wolf around the neighborhood like some medieval warlord, let’s pump the brakes. These aren’t cuddle-ready companions for your apartment in Brooklyn. First off, wolves—dire, gray, or designer edition—aren’t domesticated. They’re not going to sit pretty for a treat or wear a bowtie for your holiday photos.
A real dire wolf stood over 2.5 feet tall and weighed as much as 150 pounds of apex predator. Even these gene-edited versions, while probably not full-blown dire, are still wild animals. Think less “Fluffy,” more “Fang.”
You think your labradoodle chews shoes? Try explaining to your landlord why your dire wolf pup ate your couch, your laptop, and half the drywall.
Still, it’s hard not to imagine the cool factor. “Oh this? It’s just my genetically resurrected Pleistocene wolf. His name’s Snuggles.” It’s the ultimate flex… until he eats your neighbor’s garden gnome collection. Or the neighbor.
What does this mean for science?
Beyond the “can I pet that dire wolf?” debate, this is actually huge for conservation and de-extinction science. The idea is that by tweaking modern animals with ancient genes, we might bring back lost traits—or even entire species. Sure, some people think this is science playing God, but others see it as a second chance for biodiversity. Who wouldn’t want to undo a few thousand years of extinction mistakes?
Well… as long as we don’t end up in a real-life episode of Black Mirror.
TL;DR:
Colossal Biosciences has created genetically edited wolf pups with dire wolf DNA.
They’re not full dire wolves, but they’ve got some of those prehistoric vibes.
As pets? Hilariously bad idea—unless your home has steel walls and your neighbors are chill with growling at 3 AM.
Still, this could be a big deal for science and conservation.
Next time someone asks what kind of dog you want, just casually say, “Oh, I’m holding out for a bioengineered Ice Age predator with enhanced jaw strength.” You know, just to keep things interesting.
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References:
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