Real dire wolves — called Canis dirus, or “fearsome dogs” — existed from about 125,000 to 10,000 years ago in present-day North and South America. Though similar to gray wolves ...

The cold-loving Irish Elk was fantastic. They died despite these changes. The dire wolf (Canis dirus) terrorized the ice period. Gray wolves are weaker. Dire wolves were four feet tall and 150 pounds.