Dire Wolves Are Back. Now Elon Musk Wants This Extinct Animal As Pet

Elon Musk wants a woolly mammoth - miniature, of course - as a pet. The world's richest man remarked after a biotech company claimed it successfully brought back the extinct dire wolf in what it described as the "world's first de-extinction."

Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based firm, announced the birth of three genetically engineered wolf cubs designed to closely resemble the dire wolf. These species roamed North America thousands of years ago and were popularised by the TV show Game of Thrones. The cubs, with snow-white fur and pronounced jaws, were created using advanced gene-editing techniques.

Reacting to the news, Musk reshared pictures related to the project. One image was a Time magazine cover featuring a white wolf with the word "Extinct" crossed out. Another showed two of the engineered wolf pups sitting on the Iron Throne - a symbol from Game of Thrones.

Musk wrote on X, "Please make a miniature pet woolly mammoth."

Please make a miniature pet wooly mammoth https://t.co/UxoIWmzq6h

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 7, 2025

Colossal Biosciences has previously announced its ambition to bring back the woolly mammoth itself by 2028. "The Colossal woolly mouse marks a watershed moment in our de-extinction mission," company CEO Ben Lamm told Time Magazine.

Woolly mammoths were towering Ice Age creatures that once roamed vast regions of Europe, North America, and northern Asia. Standing up to 13 feet tall and weighing as much as 6 tons (6000 kg), they were built for survival in extreme cold. Their appearance has been made especially popular through the animated Ice Age film series, where a friendly mammoth named Manny became a household character.

In real life, these ancient animals had long, shaggy coats of brown, black, or reddish fur that helped them withstand freezing temperatures. Beneath their thick fur, a layer of fat - up to 4 inches deep - served as insulation. Their spiralled tusks could grow over 15 feet long and were used to dig through snow, defend against predators, and spar with rivals.

Compared to modern elephants, woolly mammoths had shorter ears and tails to conserve body heat, as well as a distinctive humped back and domed head.

They disappeared roughly 4,000 years ago.