Colossal Biosciences’ cloned “dire wolves” hit a major milestone this week, as the female dire wolf Khaleesi finall got a chance to meet her brothers, Remus and Romulus. Colossal has been posting regular updates and videos about these unique animals and their development on social media, and Tuesday’s update was one of the most fun to watch so far. It showed Khaleesi joining Remus and Romulus in a shared enclosure for introductions, investigations, and finally, some genuine play. Scientists say they hope to see all three wolves form a genuine pack, and they have some metrics and milestones they’re looking for in that process. For now, they’re pleased with what they’re seeing.
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These genetically-engineered “dire wolves” are now six months old, and are already markedly bigger than gray wolves at their age. Both males are over 90 pounds, and Khaleesi is still visibly smaller than them, but larger than a modern wolf. All three approached their first meeting cautiously, and the environment ultimately gave Khaleesi the upper hand. Because of her size, she was able to crawl under and behind obstacles in the enclosure where her brothers couldn’t reach, giving her the final say on when they interacted, and how much.
As you can see in the footage above, all three animals took some time to investigate one another before finally succumbing to the puppyish urge to play. The scientists carefully monitored the whole encounter, watching for signs of bonding as well as signs of hostility. Environmental safety is also on their minds — the direwolves are housed on a secure site of over 2,000 acres, and are monitored and enclosed at all times.
This experiment gained a lot of attention when it went public earlier this year, with scientists and laymen alike debating whether these cloned animals truly qualify as “dire wolves.” They got extra press thanks to the involvement of author George R.R. Martin, whose fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire helped put dire wolves back in the public consciousness.
On certain sects of the internet, the use of the name “Khaleesi” was a surprisingly contentious part of this story. Khaleesi has become a popular name for pets and even young girls since Game of Thrones rose to popularity, but in both the show and the books, Khaleesi is a title, not a name. It’s the honorific title given to the wife of a Dothraki leader, known as a Khal, but the character who bears the name is really named Daenerys Targaryen.
For some fans, this is more than just a semantic issue — it’s a flawed understanding of the story as a whole. Daenerys is essentially sold into marital slavery when she becomes a Khaleesi, and is only able to change her situation through patient diplomacy, cunning, and luck. She goes on to become one of the most savvy leaders in the series, but actually uses the title Khaleesi sparingly, instead adopting the title and trappings of power for each new group she rules over. There’s even a fan-favorite line in A Dance with Dragons where Dany complains about wearing an impractical gown, and one advisor tells her, “Man ants to be the king o’ the rabbits, he best wear a pair o’ floppy ears.”
Thankfully, the Khaleesi in Colossal’s care is not expected to wear anything as she finds her place in the world’s new ecology. You can find all of Colossal’s social media links on their website, and sign up for more updates on their dire wolf experiment there. You can also find Martin’s books in print, digital, and audiobook formats, and stream Game of Thrones on HBO Max.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
