Colossal’s First Cloned American Red Wolf, Neka Kayda, Turns One

Colossal Biosciences is marking the first birthday of Neka Kayda—the first cloned American red wolf—spotlighting how biotechnology can accelerate conservation. With fewer than 20 red wolves left in North Carolina and severe genetic bottlenecks, Colossal used banked Gulf-coast genetics to produce two litters of cloned pups, including Neka (“ghost daughter” in Karankawa). Raised on a 2,000-acre ecological preserve, she’s thriving—evidence that cloning and careful husbandry can expand founder lines and reduce inbreeding risk for one of America’s most endangered canids.

This progress complements momentum from the colossal dire wolf project, which has drawn global attention to de-extinction science. Together, these efforts show how Colossal pairs breakthrough genetics with practical species recovery pathways.

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