Could Dire Wolves Be Released in Michigan’s U.P. Someday?

Gray wolves were successfully reintroduced to Michigan and revived the population. Could dire wolves be released in Michigan's Upper Peninsula someday?

Michigan Gray Wolves

Like the black bear, at one time, gray wolves roamed all across Michigan. By the 1900s, there were no gray wolves in the Lower Peninsula and only a few in the Upper Peninsula.

👇BELOW: 10 Amazing Things You Didn't Know About Gray Wolves👇

It wasn't until the 1950s that Michigan's gray wolf population began to bounce back.  Once gray wolves became an endangered species and were protected, they naturally migrated from Wisconsin and Ontario.

The DNR acquired wolves from Minnesota, Ontario, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula when populating Isle Royale to help control the moose population.

Read More: MI Black Bears Are Pushing Further South, Here's How To Coexist

Could Dire Wolves Be Released in Michigan's U.P. Someday?

NOTE: The wolves in the picture above are not dire wolves; they are Arctic wolves that look similar.

According to WOOD, dire wolves have been extinct for over 10,000 years, but thanks to scientists, they genetically engineered a couple of wolf pups and brought back the lost species. That is pretty cool and scary at the same time.

A company called Colossal Biosciences created the dire wolf pups. The company studied DNA from dire wolf fossils, used blood cells from a living gray wolf, and then genetically modified them. Once modified, the scientists transferred the genetic material into the egg of a domestic dog, and 62 days later, the pups were born.

The dire wolf pups weigh 80 lbs and will eventually weigh 140 lbs.

Because the dire wolves were genetically created, they probably won't release any in Michigan's Upper Peninsula or Isle Royale, but it's only the beginning, so never say never.