Elon Musk, the business magnate, has recently made news with a peculiar request for a de-extinct pet. After biotech firm Colossal Biosciences successfully cloned dire wolves, Musk expressed his wish to get another extinct species as his new pet. His message created a surge of excitement and intrigue, as Colossal Biosciences proceeds to bring back extinct animals where Musk's appeal indicates his interest in de-extinction species and the possibilities of genetic engineering in reviving ancient beings as contemporary pets.
Elon Musk reacts to the return of dire wolves and requests for his next pet wish
Colossal Biosciences, the "de-extinction" firm that used to make front-page news resuscitating the dire wolf, has pulled off an impressive act by genetically manufacturing three wolves resembling the extinct species. These cloned wolves have generated interest among the scientific community and popular culture, with Musk even posting a Time Magazine cover that heralded the return of the dire wolf, striking out the word "extinct" to add "Remus," one of the first cloned pups. The photo of these pups lying on the Game of Thrones' Iron Throne gave a pop culture element to the moment and related it with the show's depiction of dire wolves as the emblem of House Stark.
In a subsequent post, Musk clarified his own de-extinction wish: "Please make a miniature pet woolly mammoth." Colossal Biosciences, established by Ben Lamm and George Church, had originally intended to bring back the woolly mammoth as part of their overall goal to develop species de-extinction. While the woolly mammoth has yet to be fully revived, significant progress has been made, including the breeding of woolly mice, which is seen as an important step in recreating the mammoth's genetic traits.
Colossal Biosciences resurrects extinct dire wolf species draws mixed reactions
Ben Lamm, CEO at Colossal, is thrilled by the developments, calling them, "The Colossal woolly mouse represents a tipping point in our de-extinction journey." Having successfully used molecular engineering to install cold adaptation genes from the evolutionary history of the mammoth into a living surrogate species, Colossal has now demonstrated the ability to re-produce complicated gene combinations that occurred over millions of years through evolution. Scientists around the world are hailing the achievement, led by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who described it as the beginning of a "thrilling new era of scientific wonder."
But not all people are that enthusiastic. University at Buffalo biologist Vincent Lynch said the shortcomings of such initiatives, that whereas such projects might get animals to look like they resemble extinct ones, they will never bring the original animals back to life. "All you can do now is get something to look superficially like something else," said Lynch, pouring cold water over species revival.
Colossal's achievements are not limited to the woolly mammoth. In January 2025, the company introduced a third dire wolf named Khaleesi, joining Romulus and Remus as the first animals ever resurrected from extinction. These wolves, believed to have disappeared around 13,000 years ago, are part of Colossal's larger efforts to revive species and reshape our understanding of extinction.
Musk's request for a woolly mammoth pet sparks social media frenzy
Musk's tweet also sparked a frenzy of reactions among his followers, most of whom revealed their own desires for de-extinction, from a Jurassic Park in real life to revived mammoths as pets. Even Musk's possible woolly mammoth got some names thrown its way, such as "Quark" courtesy of AI helper Grok. Others humored the possibility of reviving dinosaurs, as some user sarcastically said, "Velociraptors are the only real option.
The hype around Musk's plea highlights the mass interest in the potential of genetic engineering and de-extinction. As scientists strive to revive such animals as the woolly mammoth and dire wolf, the debate is just starting, with excitement and skepticism defining the future of these pioneering initiatives.
Also Read | Watch: IShowSpeed’s jaw-dropping dance and backflip session with humanoid robot in China goes viral
Elon Musk reacts to the return of dire wolves and requests for his next pet wish
Colossal Biosciences, the "de-extinction" firm that used to make front-page news resuscitating the dire wolf, has pulled off an impressive act by genetically manufacturing three wolves resembling the extinct species. These cloned wolves have generated interest among the scientific community and popular culture, with Musk even posting a Time Magazine cover that heralded the return of the dire wolf, striking out the word "extinct" to add "Remus," one of the first cloned pups. The photo of these pups lying on the Game of Thrones' Iron Throne gave a pop culture element to the moment and related it with the show's depiction of dire wolves as the emblem of House Stark.
TIME's new cover: The dire wolf is back after over 10,000 years. Here's what that means for other extinct species https://t.co/LQtosdfiEf pic.twitter.com/bv8EbeefuW
— TIME (@TIME) April 7, 2025
In a subsequent post, Musk clarified his own de-extinction wish: "Please make a miniature pet woolly mammoth." Colossal Biosciences, established by Ben Lamm and George Church, had originally intended to bring back the woolly mammoth as part of their overall goal to develop species de-extinction. While the woolly mammoth has yet to be fully revived, significant progress has been made, including the breeding of woolly mice, which is seen as an important step in recreating the mammoth's genetic traits.
Elon with his new wooly mammoth pic.twitter.com/9S0Kcz556z
— greg (@greg16676935420) April 7, 2025
Colossal Biosciences resurrects extinct dire wolf species draws mixed reactions
Ben Lamm, CEO at Colossal, is thrilled by the developments, calling them, "The Colossal woolly mouse represents a tipping point in our de-extinction journey." Having successfully used molecular engineering to install cold adaptation genes from the evolutionary history of the mammoth into a living surrogate species, Colossal has now demonstrated the ability to re-produce complicated gene combinations that occurred over millions of years through evolution. Scientists around the world are hailing the achievement, led by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who described it as the beginning of a "thrilling new era of scientific wonder."
But not all people are that enthusiastic. University at Buffalo biologist Vincent Lynch said the shortcomings of such initiatives, that whereas such projects might get animals to look like they resemble extinct ones, they will never bring the original animals back to life. "All you can do now is get something to look superficially like something else," said Lynch, pouring cold water over species revival.
Colossal's achievements are not limited to the woolly mammoth. In January 2025, the company introduced a third dire wolf named Khaleesi, joining Romulus and Remus as the first animals ever resurrected from extinction. These wolves, believed to have disappeared around 13,000 years ago, are part of Colossal's larger efforts to revive species and reshape our understanding of extinction.
Musk's request for a woolly mammoth pet sparks social media frenzy
Musk's tweet also sparked a frenzy of reactions among his followers, most of whom revealed their own desires for de-extinction, from a Jurassic Park in real life to revived mammoths as pets. Even Musk's possible woolly mammoth got some names thrown its way, such as "Quark" courtesy of AI helper Grok. Others humored the possibility of reviving dinosaurs, as some user sarcastically said, "Velociraptors are the only real option.
The hype around Musk's plea highlights the mass interest in the potential of genetic engineering and de-extinction. As scientists strive to revive such animals as the woolly mammoth and dire wolf, the debate is just starting, with excitement and skepticism defining the future of these pioneering initiatives.
Also Read | Watch: IShowSpeed’s jaw-dropping dance and backflip session with humanoid robot in China goes viral
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