While the world marvels at the resurrection of dire wolves, the most immediate conservation impact of this breakthrough technology is already saving species that still walk among us. The same genetic tools that brought back an extinct predator have successfully created four critically endangered red wolf pups, demonstrating how de-extinction research directly benefits living biodiversity.
“I’ve actually made more red wolves than I’ve made dire wolves. So I’ve made four red wolves, one female,” revealed Ben Lamm during his Joe Rogan Experience appearance, highlighting how the technology serves dual purposes—resurrecting the extinct while rescuing the endangered.
The red wolf represents one of conservation’s most urgent challenges. Fewer than 20 individuals remain in North America, making them the most endangered wolves on the planet. Through innovative applications of de-extinction technology, Colossal Biosciences has added crucial genetic diversity to this critically imperiled species.
Revolutionary Blood Cloning Technology
The breakthrough that made both dire wolf and red wolf successes possible is Colossal’s development of EPC (endothelial progenitor cell) blood cloning technology. This minimally invasive approach represents a paradigm shift in conservation genetics, eliminating the need for stressful tissue biopsies while expanding possibilities for genetic rescue.
“We found a way, which we’re open sourcing on Tuesday, is open sourcing this model of how you go clone from blood, which is a game for biobanking, because now you don’t have to go hurt an animal, take pieces of the animal, anesthetize the animal. We can just take bloods and put them in freezers and be able to bring them back or clone them if there’s a lack of genetic diversity,” Lamm explained.
The technology isolates endothelial progenitor cells from blood samples—cells that naturally line blood vessels and can be expanded in laboratory conditions. These cells retain the genetic blueprint of their donor animals and can be used for somatic cell nuclear transfer, the cloning process that creates genetically identical offspring.
“Basically, the inner lining of your blood vessel, because there’s no nucleus in blood cells. So we catch those, and when we catch those, we then isolate them, we grow them, and we clone from them, which is amazing because if you think about typical cloning from an animal welfare perspective, a lot of times you have to anesthetize the animal, you have to take ear punches, skin biopsies,” Lamm noted, contrasting the new approach with traditional invasive methods.
Immediate Conservation Impact
Colossal’s red wolf program has already produced tangible conservation results. The company has successfully cloned red wolves from three different genetic lineages, creating more genetic diversity than currently exists in the wild population. This achievement addresses one of the species’ most critical challenges: the genetic bottleneck that threatens their long-term survival.
“We made these four wolves from three different genetic lines. So there’s actually more genetic diversity in these wolves than what’s alive in the population,” Lamm emphasized, highlighting how the technology can enhance rather than simply preserve existing diversity.
The red wolf population crashed to near extinction by 1960, with all current individuals descending from just 12 founder animals. Adding Colossal’s red wolves to the captive breeding population would increase the number of founding lineages by 25%—a significant boost for long-term genetic health.
“The creation of less-invasive sampling tools such as our EPC blood cloning platform allows for the conservation community to ramp up biobanking efforts of those species on the brink,” said Matt James, Colossal’s Chief Animal Officer and Colossal Foundation Executive Director.
Government Partnership and Scaling Potential
The red wolf program has attracted significant attention from conservation agencies, though initial responses revealed bureaucratic challenges that often impede conservation innovation. Lamm’s experience attempting to collaborate with Fish and Wildlife Service illustrates both the potential and obstacles facing new conservation technologies.
“We said, ‘We’d like for you to help protect the work that’s being done in Louisiana, and then how many wolves would you like us to make using that population as well as frozen samples that are dead? And we’ll just give them to you. There’s no cost,'” Lamm recounted.
Despite offering the technology for free, the initial response was disappointing: “We need to spend five to six years on an internal study and spend $22 million to see if it’s possible to clone wolves.” This reaction occurred despite Lamm presenting living proof of the technology’s success.
However, higher-level government engagement has proven more promising. Lamm’s recent meeting with the Department of Interior revealed enthusiasm for innovation-focused conservation approaches. “Doug Burgum, the Secretary of Interior there who we met with said, ‘We celebrate.’ He’s a huge conservationist, huge Teddy Roosevelt guy, member of the Explorers Club.”
Secretary Burgum highlighted a troubling statistic: “We do not have a celebration when animals come off the endangered species list. Only about 3% ever come off. And we’re really good at putting them on, and we celebrate putting them on.” This recognition of traditional conservation’s limitations opened doors for technological solutions.
Gulf Coast Genetic Rescue
The red wolf program extends beyond cloning to include genetic rescue of wild populations. Colossal is collaborating with researchers studying “ghost wolves”—unique canids found along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana that carry lost DNA and biodiversity of the red wolf lineage.
Dr. Bridgett vonHoldt of Princeton University leads the Gulf Coast Canine Project, which aims to understand the genetic ancestry of these wild canines. “Perfecting genomic tools to integrate ‘ghost alleles’ from Gulf Coast canids would increase red wolf genetic diversity and generate knowledge for recovering other imperiled species,” noted Mike Phillips, Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund.
This approach represents a new paradigm in conservation biology: using genomic techniques to revive lost genetic variation and enhance the resilience of endangered wildlife. Rather than simply preserving existing diversity, scientists can now actively restore genetic heritage that was previously lost to population bottlenecks.
Technology Transfer to Other Species
The conservation applications extend far beyond red wolves. Colossal is applying similar techniques to other endangered species, including work with the pink pigeon—a bird species suffering from severe genetic bottlenecks. By introducing greater genetic diversity into pink pigeon embryos using edited primordial germ cells, scientists aim to improve the species’ health and viability.
“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 for both science and conservation,” said Dr. Christopher Mason, a Colossal scientific advisor.
The blood cloning technology is particularly valuable for biobanking efforts. “Biobanking and cloning EPCs from threatened or endangered populations of wild wolves provides a safety net to preserve the genomic diversity present today from further loss and extinction,” according to project documentation.
Scaling Conservation Impact
The technology’s most significant advantage is its scalability. Traditional conservation breeding programs are limited by the animals available and the complexity of managing genetic diversity across small populations. Cloning technology, combined with genetic editing capabilities, enables conservationists to create new individuals with desired genetic characteristics while preserving endangered bloodlines.
“And if you tell me you want 100 wolves, I’ll just make you 100 wolves, and we’ll even engineer in more genetic diversity for you,” Lamm offered to government officials, demonstrating the technology’s potential for rapid population recovery.
This scalability could transform conservation biology from a discipline focused on managing decline to one capable of actively reversing it. Rather than simply trying to maintain existing populations, conservationists could actively restore genetic diversity and population numbers while addressing the root causes of endangerment.
The red wolf success story demonstrates that de-extinction technology isn’t just about bringing back the extinct—it’s about preventing extinctions in the first place. By developing these tools through ambitious projects like dire wolf resurrection, scientists are creating practical solutions for the thousands of species currently facing extinction. The future of conservation may well depend on these technological advances, and the red wolf program proves they’re ready for real-world application.
