From Time.com:
Romulus and Remus are doing what puppies do: chasing, tussling, nipping, nuzzling. But there’s something very un-puppylike about the snowy white 6-month olds—their size, for starters. At their young age they already measure nearly 4 ft. long, tip the scales at 80 lb., and could grow to 6 ft. and 150 lb. Then there’s their behavior: the angelic exuberance puppies exhibit in the presence of humans—trotting up for hugs, belly rubs, kisses—is completely absent.
They keep their distance, retreating if a person approaches. Even one of the handlers who raised them from birth can get only so close before Romulus and Remus flinch and retreat. This isn’t domestic canine behavior, this is wild lupine behavior: the pups are wolves. Not only that, they’re dire wolves—which means they have cause to be lonely.
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Colossal’s de-extincted ‘dire wolf’ isn’t a dire wolf and it has not been de-extincted, experts say
From LiveScience.com:
Scientists recently revealed that they have “brought back” extinct dire wolves thanks to genetic engineering — but experts say the newly created animals are only like dire wolves in appearance.
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A “de-extinction” startup wants to save North Carolina’s red wolves from collapse
From Axios.com:
Colossal Biosciences, a Texas company attempting to bring back extinct animals such as dire wolves and woolly mammoths, believes its technology could also help endangered species, including North Carolina’s red wolves, from population collapse.
Why it matters: The red wolf, which once roamed most of the eastern and southern portions of the U.S., is one of the world’s most endangered wolves, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A little more than 200 red wolves live in captivity, but fewer than 20 exist in the wild — all in a rural five-county section of northeastern North Carolina. But their numbers continue to fall, with many being hit by cars or being shot.
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What Is a Dire Wolf? How Formerly Extinct Species Compares to Gray Wolves
From Newsweek.com:
For the first time in over 10,000 years, the howl of a dire wolf is echoing once more—this time, from within a secretive nature preserve in the United States. The predator, long thought extinct and famously mythologized in pop culture like Game of Thrones, is back, thanks to genetic engineering.
Colossal Biosciences has successfully birthed three dire wolf pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—through its “de-extinction” initiative. The project, combining ancient DNA analysis with CRISPR gene editing and modern surrogate breeding, marks a major milestone in genetic science and conservation.
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Prey size plays surprising role in competition among wolves, bears and cougars
From Phys.org:
New research from the University of Minnesota upends long-held understanding about how wolves, bears and cougars—three of Yellowstone National Park’s most iconic carnivores—compete for prey.
For years, scientists theorized that when prey becomes scarce, predators become more aggressive toward each other. It’s a straightforward theory: fewer resources and more competition suggest that dominant predators—like wolves and bears—will steal food from subordinate predators—like cougars. New findings, published in Communications Biology, reveal that the size of prey animals plays a surprisingly pivotal role in competition patterns among predators.
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Experts dispute claim dire wolf brought back from extinction
From BBC.com:
There is a magnificent, snow-white wolf on the cover of Time Magazine today – accompanied by a headline announcing the return of the dire wolf. This now extinct species is possibly most famous for its fictional role in Game of Thrones, but it did exist – more than 10,000 years ago – when it roamed across the Americas.
The company Colossal Biosciences is behind today’s headlines. It announced that it used “deft genetic engineering and ancient DNA” to breed three dire wolf puppies and to “de-extinct” the species. But while the young wolves – Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi – represent an impressive technological breakthrough, independent experts say they are not actually dire wolves.
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Increase In California Wolf Population Leads To Review Of Species’ Endangered Status
From TheTravel.com:
An increase in the California wolf population has led to a review of the species endangered status after two counties issued a State of Emergency. In Northern California, the increased wolf population is causing concern in rural communities. This has led Modoc, Sierra, and Lassen counties to reach out to state officials to help regulate the wolf populations.
While the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is reviewing the gray wolf’s endangered status in the state, it is unlikely that the status will change soon. There are far too few gray wolves in the state to do so.
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The Return of the Dire Wolf
From Time.com:
Romulus and Remus are doing what puppies do: chasing, tussling, nipping, nuzzling. But there’s something very un-puppylike about the snowy white 6-month olds—their size, for starters. At their young age they already measure nearly 4 ft. long, tip the scales at 80 lb., and could grow to 6 ft. and 150 lb. Then there’s their behavior: the angelic exuberance puppies exhibit in the presence of humans—trotting up for hugs, belly rubs, kisses—is completely absent.
They keep their distance, retreating if a person approaches. Even one of the handlers who raised them from birth can get only so close before Romulus and Remus flinch and retreat. This isn’t domestic canine behavior, this is wild lupine behavior: the pups are wolves. Not only that, they’re dire wolves—which means they have cause to be lonely.
Click here for the full story.
Jim Brandenburg, renowned wildlife photographer, dies
From MPRNews.com:
Wildlife photographer Jim Brandenburg, whose landscapes brought worldwide attention to Minnesota, died Friday at his home in Medina. He was 79.
The news was announced on Bradenburg’s Facebook page. In the months leading up to his death, he had been treated for thyroid cancer and also had pneumonia.
“Jim was one of the few people I’ve met in my life who comes up with an idea and he fulfills it,” said Layne Kennedy, a Minneapolis photographer and friend. “So many people have great ideas and they never work on them. They never finish them. Jim was one of those guys that always did that.”
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Is this the end of gray wolf protections in California? As population grows, so do worries
From Redding.com:
California will reexamine its gray wolf conservation policies — including tactics North State ranchers use to protect cattle — now that the endangered and protected species’ pack numbers are growing in Shasta, Siskiyou and other North State counties.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced it will begin a review of the gray wolf’s status. The agency said it plans to request input from tribes and other public groups, and from an independent peer review, before making changes to wolf protections.
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Annual survey shows increase in gray wolf packs in Washington, decrease in overall minimum wolf count
From Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
Two of three wolf recovery regions exceeded minimum recovery goals
OLYMPIA – The number of gray wolf packs in Washington increased slightly in 2024, according to the Washington Gray Wolf Conservation and Management 2024 Annual Report, released today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) while the state’s wolf count declined overall. Based on wolf biology and long-term population trajectory, WDFW wolf biologists do not believe wolf recovery is threatened at this time.
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