Bringing a super-sized canine back from extinction after 12,500 years might sound like the plot of a thrilling movie filled with special effects, but it's become a reality, thanks to some dedicated scientists. The world now has three dire wolves living in a secret location in the US, thanks to the efforts of the biotech company Colossal Biosciences.

Colossal Biosciences, driven by a passion that could rival any Game of Thrones fan, used DNA from the common gray wolf, gene-editing techniques, and domestic dog surrogates to bring Romulus, Remus, and their younger sister, Khaleesi, into existence. These dire wolves are everything a mother of dragons could dream of—huge, white, and undeniably awesome.

“I could not be more proud of the team. This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works,” said CEO of Colossal Ben Lamm.

“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies. It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”

This isn't Colossal Biosciences' first foray into the headlines. The company previously engineered a Colossal Woolly Mouse, essentially a mouse sporting a very shaggy coat, to mimic the mammoth phenotype. They achieved this through computational analysis of 59 woolly, Columbian, and steppe mammoth genomes, ranging from 3,500 to over 1,200,000 years old. Critics argue that these dire wolves are essentially normal wolves in fancy dress, suggesting that the available dire wolf DNA isn't sufficient to create a true genetic clone.

Colossal Biosciences' mission extends beyond creating viral sensations and owning impressive pets. The company aims to apply its findings to the preservation of current species for future generations.

“The de-extinction of the dire wolf and an end-to-end system for de-extinction is transformative and heralds an entirely new era of human stewardship of life,” said Dr. Christopher Mason, a scientific advisor and member of the board of observers for Colossal.

“The same technologies that created the dire wolf can directly help save a variety of other endangered animals as well. This is an extraordinary technological leap in genetic engineering efforts for both science and for conservation as well as preservation of life, and a wonderful example of the power of biotechnology to protect species, both extant and extinct.”

As for these dire wolves, Colossal Biosciences has collaborated with the American Humane Society and the USDA to ensure their well-being at a 2,000+ acre preserve, where they are cared for by a dedicated team of staff.