What in the World - Why do scientists want to bring back extinct animals?

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The US company Colossal claim to have brought back the dire wolf from extinction after 12,000 years through genetic engineering. The three pups, called Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi, are now living in an undisclosed nature preserve, unaware that their existence has made headlines around the world. But Colossal aren’t finished yet, they want to continue to “de-extinct” other animals, such as the woolly mammoth.

BBC Science Correspondent Victoria Gill explains how the experiment was done. How realistic is “de-extinction”? And are these actually dire wolves?

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Published on Friday, 11th April 2025.

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