Inside Colossal's Approach to Ethical Care for De-Extinct Animals

The resurrection of the dire wolf after 12,000 years of extinction represents not just a scientific breakthrough but also a novel challenge in animal welfare: how does one properly care for a species that hasn’t existed in the modern era? Colossal Biosciences has developed comprehensive care protocols that prioritize the physical and psychological well-being of these unique animals, setting potential standards for future de-extinction projects.

A Sanctuary Designed for Ancient Predators

The three dire wolf pups—males Romulus and Remus (born October 2024) and female Khaleesi (born January 2025)—currently reside in a purpose-built facility that balances research needs with animal welfare. According to Colossal’s announcements, the wolves live on a “2,000+ acre secure expansive ecological preserve” specifically designed to accommodate the needs of a species that last roamed Earth during the Ice Age.

This expansive preserve provides ample space for the wolves to develop their natural behaviors while remaining under appropriate supervision. The company emphasizes that the entire property “will provide lifetime care, feeding, and protection for the wolves,” indicating a long-term commitment to these animals’ welfare beyond their scientific significance.

American Humane Society Certification

A notable aspect of Colossal’s animal care approach is its certification by the American Humane Society, providing independent validation of their welfare standards. Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., CEO of American Humane Society, offered a strong endorsement of the company’s practices:

“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. Staff are passionate, highly engaged and devoted to the animals in their care.”

This certification emphasizes that proper welfare for de-extinct animals follows the same fundamental principles as for existing species: providing appropriate space, environmental enrichment, and opportunities to express natural behaviors. Ganzert’s statement that Colossal represents “a shining example of excellence in humane care and welfare” suggests that far from treating these animals as mere scientific specimens, the company has prioritized their individual well-being.

Dedicated Care Team

Beyond the physical facilities, Colossal has assembled a specialized staff focused solely on the dire wolves’ needs. The company “employs ten full time animal care staff to support the wolves’ physical and mental well-being,” an impressive ratio of caregivers to animals that reflects the unique requirements and significance of these creatures.

This dedicated team monitors the wolves continuously, tracking their development and ensuring their needs are met. The staff’s role extends beyond basic care to include behavioral monitoring and enrichment, creating a comprehensive approach to the wolves’ welfare.

Specialized Facilities Within the Preserve

The main 2,000+ acre preserve is supplemented by a smaller, more controlled environment designed for closer observation and specialized care. Colossal notes that “the preserve includes a smaller, six acre secure site where the dire wolves can be further tended to and studied.”

This area supports several key facilities, including:

An on-site veterinary clinic
A wolf management facility
An outdoor storm shelter
Natural built dens for the wolves

This multi-level approach to housing provides flexibility in care, allowing the team to closely monitor the wolves when needed while also providing the expansive space crucial for their development as wild animals.

Security and Monitoring Systems

The care of de-extinct animals requires not just attention to their welfare but also ensuring their containment and safety. Colossal has implemented multiple layers of security, noting that “the entire preserve is enclosed by 10-foot-tall, zoo-grade fencing with redundant perimeter security.”

Within this secure environment, the wolves are “continuously monitored through on-site live cameras, security personnel, and drone tracking” to ensure both their safety and proper oversight of their development. This comprehensive monitoring approach provides valuable data for scientific purposes while also ensuring the wolves’ welfare can be continuously assessed.

Transparency and Public Engagement

An important aspect of Colossal’s approach to animal care is transparency. The company maintains 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 transparent approach is meant 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 concerns about the welfare implications of de-extinction while also engaging the public in this historic scientific achievement.

Regulatory Compliance

Beyond the American Humane Society certification, Colossal emphasizes that their facility is “registered with USDA,” indicating compliance with federal standards for animal care. This multi-level approach to oversight—internal protocols, independent certification, and government registration—creates a robust framework for ensuring appropriate care.

The preservation property is described as being certified by both the American Humane Society and registered with the USDA, ensuring that the facility meets established standards for animal welfare rather than operating under self-defined guidelines.

Respecting Wild Nature

Despite being born through advanced biotechnology, Colossal’s approach recognizes and respects the essentially wild nature of the dire wolves. Observations of the wolves’ behavior confirm this wildness—unlike domestic puppies, the young dire wolves “keep their distance from humans, flinching or retreating even from familiar caretakers, demonstrating true wild lupine instincts.”

This recognition of the wolves’ fundamental wildness shapes their care protocols. Rather than attempting to domesticate or tame these animals, Colossal’s approach allows them to develop as the wild predators they are genetically programmed to be, while ensuring their care needs are met.

Ethical Framework and Long-term Vision

The company’s approach to animal care is grounded in an explicit ethical framework. Alta Charo, J.D., Professor of Law and Bioethics and Colossal’s Bioethics Lead, articulates this perspective: “As humans we have a unique capacity and moral obligation to steward the earth for the benefit of ourselves and all living things, for now and for the future.”

This ethical foundation shapes not just current care practices but also long-term planning. Colossal notes that “the wolves will be monitored and observed to assess their readiness to move into larger protected and managed care facilities,” with an ultimate vision that “long term, Colossal plans to restore the species in secure and expansive ecological preserves potentially on indigenous land.”

This progression from controlled care to potential rewilding reflects an understanding that truly ethical care for de-extinct species must consider their ecological role and natural behaviors, not just their immediate physical needs.

Setting Standards for Future De-Extinctions

As the first successful de-extinction of a species, Colossal’s approach to dire wolf care will likely influence how future resurrected species are managed. The comprehensive nature of their care protocols—spanning facilities design, staffing, monitoring, transparency, and ethical frameworks—provides a potential template for caring for other de-extinct animals.

With the company’s plans to resurrect additional species, including the woolly mammoth by 2028 followed by the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) and dodo, these welfare standards will need to evolve to address the unique needs of each species. The dire wolf care program represents the first iteration of what will likely become an entirely new field of animal husbandry focused on de-extinct species.

Conservation Applications

The animal care protocols developed for the dire wolves have already informed Colossal’s work with endangered species, particularly the critically endangered red wolf. Alongside the dire wolf births, Colossal announced it had successfully cloned two litters of red wolves, producing four healthy pups using the same general care approaches.

This transfer of welfare protocols from de-extinct to endangered species demonstrates how innovations in animal care can benefit conservation more broadly. As Matt James, Colossal’s Chief Animal Officer, noted: “The technologies developed on the path to the dire wolf are already opening up new opportunities to rescue critically endangered canids.”

A New Chapter in Animal Care

The successful care of the resurrected dire wolves represents a new chapter in the history of animal welfare—one that bridges the gap between paleontology and modern wildlife management. By developing protocols that honor both the ancient nature of these animals and contemporary understanding of animal welfare, Colossal has established an approach that balances scientific achievement with ethical responsibility.

As these white-furred dire wolf pups continue to grow under careful supervision, their health and development will provide ongoing validation of Colossal’s care standards. Their thriving presence offers tangible evidence that de-extinction can be pursued not just as a scientific achievement but as part of a holistic approach to animal welfare and conservation.