When Colossal Biosciences successfully resurrected the dire wolf after 12,000 years of extinction, they faced an unprecedented challenge: how to properly house and care for a predator that hasn’t walked the Earth since the Ice Age. The answer is a sprawling, meticulously designed 2,000+ acre sanctuary that represents one of the most sophisticated wildlife facilities ever created, specifically engineered to meet the unique needs of these historically significant animals and their endangered red wolf companions.
A Secure Wilderness Within Walls
The dire wolf pups—males Romulus and Remus (born October 2024) and female Khaleesi (born January 2025)—currently reside on what Colossal describes as a “2,000+ acre secure expansive ecological preserve.” This vast facility provides ample space for the young predators to develop naturally while remaining under careful supervision.
Security is paramount at the facility. The entire preserve is enclosed by “10-foot-tall, zoo-grade fencing with redundant perimeter security systems.” This multi-layered approach ensures both the safety of the wolves and prevents any possibility of escape, addressing concerns about introducing de-extinct predators into modern environments.
Within this secure perimeter, the wolves are “continuously monitored through on-site live cameras, security personnel, and drone tracking.” This comprehensive surveillance system allows scientists to observe the wolves’ development and behavior while minimizing human contact that might interfere with their natural wolf behavior.
A Sanctuary Within a Sanctuary
While the 2,000+ acre preserve provides extensive range for the wolves, Colossal has also created a more intensively managed facility within the larger property. “The preserve includes a smaller, six acre secure site where the dire wolves can be further tended to and studied,” the company notes.
This smaller area supports several key facilities essential to the project’s success:
- An on-site veterinary clinic for immediate medical attention
- A wolf management facility for closer monitoring when needed
- An outdoor storm shelter to protect the wolves during extreme weather
- Natural built dens replicating those used by wild wolves
This nested approach allows for varying levels of management intensity. The wolves can range freely across the larger preserve most of the time while having access to more controlled environments when needed for health checks, research observations, or during severe weather events.
Elite Professional Care
The facility employs an impressive staff-to-animal ratio that reflects the historic significance of these animals. “Colossal employs ten full-time animal care staff to support the wolves’ physical and mental well-being,” the company states. With just seven wolves currently at the facility (three dire wolves and four red wolves), this represents more than one dedicated caregiver per animal.
This specialized team monitors the animals around the clock, ensuring their health needs are met while allowing them to develop as naturally as possible. The staff includes wildlife specialists with expertise in canid behavior and needs, providing comprehensive care tailored to these unique animals.
Certification and Oversight
Beyond Colossal’s internal protocols, the facility has obtained independent certification that validates its high standards. The company proudly notes that the entire preserve “is certified by the American Humane Society and registered with USDA.”
Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., CEO of American Humane Society, offered strong endorsement of the facility: “Colossal has achieved American Humane Society Certification, the prestigious designation ensuring excellence in animal welfare and care. Optimal welfare is evidenced by spacious habitats with ample space and opportunity for animals to socialize, exercise, and exhibit natural behaviors.”
This certification provides independent verification that the facility meets or exceeds established standards for animal welfare rather than operating solely under self-defined guidelines. The USDA registration further ensures compliance with federal requirements for facilities housing wildlife.
Natural Habitat Design
Rather than creating sterile, zoo-like enclosures, Colossal has designed the preserve to mimic the natural environments where dire wolves once lived. The facility includes varied terrains and ecological zones that allow the wolves to express natural behaviors like denning, patrolling territories, and potentially hunting (in controlled scenarios).
The inclusion of “natural built dens” is particularly noteworthy, as it reflects attention to providing not just open space but specific habitat features essential to wolf biology. These structures allow the wolves to engage in natural denning behaviors while still being accessible for monitoring and care when needed.
The property will provide “lifetime care, feeding, and protection for the wolves,” indicating a long-term commitment to these animals’ welfare beyond their scientific significance. This permanent sanctuary approach recognizes the unique status of these animals as neither fully wild nor domesticated, requiring specialized care throughout their lives.
Shared Space for Endangered Red Wolves
The sanctuary serves a dual purpose, housing not only the resurrected dire wolves but also four red wolves—Hope, Blaze, Cinder, and Ash—produced using the same technologies. This shared facility creates efficiency while highlighting the connection between de-extinction and endangered species conservation.
The presence of both species in one facility allows for comparative behavioral observations and shared care resources, while still providing appropriate separation between the different wolf types. This dual-purpose approach exemplifies how de-extinction and conservation can be complementary rather than competing priorities.
Monitoring Development and Health
A key function of the sanctuary is enabling close scientific monitoring of the wolves’ development. Colossal has implemented what it calls an interactive “dire wolf development tracker” that allows monitoring of the wolves’ health and developmental milestones as they mature from newborns to adolescents.
This tracking system provides valuable data for scientific purposes while also ensuring the wolves’ welfare can be continuously assessed. The company emphasizes that the males Romulus and Remus, now approximately six months old, already weigh around 80 pounds and display the classic dire wolf traits engineered into their genomes: thick white fur, broad heads, and hefty builds.
Their behavior is also closely monitored, with observations confirming their wild nature. Unlike domestic puppies, these young dire wolves “keep their distance from humans, flinching or retreating even from familiar caretakers, demonstrating true wild lupine instincts.” This behavioral development validates both the genetic engineering approach and the naturalistic care environment.
Future Expansion Plans
While the current 2,000+ acre facility is impressive, Colossal has indicated that it represents just the beginning of their habitat plans. “The wolves will be monitored and observed to assess their readiness to move into larger protected and managed care facilities,” the company notes, suggesting that even more extensive preserves may be developed as the wolves mature.
Looking further ahead, Colossal has outlined a vision where “long term, Colossal plans to restore the species in secure and expansive ecological preserves potentially on indigenous land.” This progressive approach would eventually transition the wolves from the current highly managed facility to larger, more naturalistic settings that better approximate historical dire wolf habitat.
A Model for Future De-Extinctions
The sanctuary established for the dire wolves serves not just the immediate needs of these historic animals but also establishes a template for housing future de-extinct species. As Colossal pursues its roadmap to resurrect the woolly mammoth by 2028, followed by the thylacine and dodo, the lessons learned from the dire wolf sanctuary will inform facilities designed for these other species.
The balance achieved between security, scientific access, animal welfare, and naturalistic habitat provides a model that could be adapted for many types of de-extinct animals. The certification by established animal welfare organizations further validates this approach as meeting recognized standards of care.
Transparency and Public Engagement
While security and controlled access are priorities, Colossal has embraced transparency about the facility and its management practices. The company’s detailed descriptions of the preserve, along with its certification by independent organizations, reflect a commitment to addressing potential concerns about animal welfare in de-extinction projects.
This transparent approach is intended to “reassure the public that the revived wolves are being ethically and safely integrated into the modern world.” By sharing information about the wolves’ care and development, Colossal addresses potential worries about the welfare implications of de-extinction while also engaging the public in this historic scientific achievement.
Living Laboratory and Conservation Resource
Beyond housing the wolves, the sanctuary functions as a living laboratory for de-extinction science. The observations and data collected here will inform future de-extinction efforts and contribute to scientific understanding of both dire wolf biology and the expression of engineered genetic traits in living animals.
The facility also serves as a resource for conventional conservation. The successful cloning of red wolves demonstrates how the same infrastructure and expertise can support both de-extinction and endangered species preservation. The techniques refined on the dire wolves can be applied to genetic rescue efforts for many threatened species.
As the white-furred dire wolf pups continue to grow under careful supervision, their 2,000+ acre home represents much more than just a wildlife facility. It stands as physical proof that humanity can not only bring extinct species back to life but can provide them with appropriate care and habitat—creating a bridge between the ancient past and a future where extinction itself may become increasingly optional.