Re-Born Dire Wolves Celebrate 1st Birthday in Epic Way

Colossal Biosciences achieved the unthinkable in October 2024 with the birth of Romulus and Remus, dire wolves lost to extinction more than 10,000 years ago. 

The bioscience giant took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies with the help of gray wolves. The males have both reached over 120 pounds are expected to continue to grow until they reach 18 months

Now, the brothers are celebrating their milestone first birthday with an epic new song, “Happy Birthday Dire Wolf,” by Stan Bush & Lenny Macaluso. 

The Emmy Award winning legends Bush and Macaluso, who created iconic anthems like “The Touch” from Transformers: The Movie (1986) and “Never Surrender” from Kickboxer (1989), penned the new, powerful anthem for the species brought back from extinction. 

The music video features never-before-seen footage of Remus – who is described as “fearless and bold” – and Romulus – an “inquisitive, cautious and confident” male – throughout their first year of life. 

The duo topped off their birthday festivities with a custom cake made by luxury dog bakery Mishka Bakery in San Francisco. Olia Rosenblatt designed the sweet treat, working for 15 hours nonstop to design, customize and assemble the cake. 

Rosenblatt called the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity “beyond my wildest dreams.”

“To see my work bring that kind of joy to these unbelievable creatures, I honestly have no words… just pure tears of happiness,” she added. “This project was not just about creating a cake — it was about honoring the incredible story of the Dire Wolves with something as unique and majestic as they are. We feel deeply honored to have brought this vision to life.”

Romulus and Remus’ younger sister, Khaleesi, will celebrate her first birthday in January.

“Romulus, Remus and Khalessi are the first animals ever brought back from extinction. They represent hope in the fight against biodiversity loss and proof that we can begin to restore what has been lost,” Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said. “The dire wolf’s story is a banner of possibility—for science, for conservation, and for humanity.”