New Delhi, May 6 -- Last month, biotech firm Colossal Biosciences announced that it had resurrected the dire wolf, an Ice Age predator that was made famous by the fictional TV series Game of Thrones. As much as the birth of Colossal's cubs Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi might seem like Jurassic Park-style wizardry, it has forced us to consider the consequences of de-extinction technology, its relevance to conservation and the guard-rails we must erect to stave-off any harmful ecological impact that might result.

Despite what these cubs look like, it is important to state upfront that they have not been created from the genetic remains of actual dire wolf fossils. DNA extracted from fossil remains is too fragmented to be useful f...