Pioneers in the science of "de-extinction," an American company has announced the births of three pups whose genes resemble those of a species that hasn't roamed Earth for millennia

In a stunning scientific development, the prehistoric canines made famous in the hit HBO show have been announced as the world’s first de-extinct animal.

So yes, the Game of Thrones influence on these dire wolves is strong. However, Thrones is just a fantasy, as fleeting as a dream of spring. The return of the ancient dire wolf—or at least a modern approximation of it—is now a scientific reality. This will have reverberations long after a hundred winters have come and gone.

Three genetically engineered wolves that may resemble extinct dire wolves are trotting, sleeping and howling in an undisclosed, secure location in the U.S., according to the company that aims

Three genetically engineered wolves that may resemble extinct dire wolves are living in an undisclosed secure location in the U.S., according to researchers at Colossal Biosciences.

Dire wolves, made famous by “Game of Thrones,” went extinct some 13,000 years ago. Now, researchers have bred gray-wolf pups that carry genes of their ancient cousins.

The dire wolf is a relative of the now-common grey wolf, with clear differences apparent between the two species' skeletons. Based on the sequence of two new dire wolf genomes, the researchers at Colossal conclude that dire wolves formed a distinct branch within the canids over 2.

Unlike most fantasy creatures, dire wolves actually existed once upon a time. They patrolled North America hunting giant ground sloths, bison, and other megafauna until about the end of the last ice age.

Dire wolves were animals that last roamed the Earth about 13,000 years ago. Now scientific developments are helping revive these ancient creatures made famous by "Game of Thrones". FOX's Gary Baumgarten has the details.