De-Extinction at a Crossroads: Ecology, Ethics, and the Future of Conservation in the Biotech Age

The recent announcement of a genetically engineered organism resembling the extinct dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) has reignited a media and academic debate over the ecological, ethical, and philosophical implications of de-extinction. Although the revival was later clarified to be a modified grey wolf with a small fraction of the dire wolf DNA, the case illustrates how close biotechnology is to achieving a true de-extinction. While proponents promote such techniques as innovative additional tools for conservation, this paper calls for a more critical examination of their broader implications. Drawing on insights from invasion ecology, rewilding, ethics, and governance, we argue that de-extinction must not be guided by feasibility or commercial appeal alone. Instead, it requires a multidisciplinary framework to be thoroughly understood, responsibly guided, and—if deemed appropriate—accepted. As biotechnological innovations advance and may become widely used, they should be aligned with biodiversity conservation principles to avoid unintended ecological consequences.