His name is Kurt and he is the first foal cloned from the DNA of a male Przewalski horse. Unfortunately, however, this foal will live in the zoo
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himFirst clone of Przewalski's horse. The first foal cloned from the DNA of a male horse of Przewalski cryopreserved since 1980 was born at the veterinary facility Timber Creek Veterinary, in the USA.
His birth took place on 6 August 2020 and he is the first Przewalski's horse to be successfully cloned in the world.
"We share this extraordinary achievement because we have applied our multidisciplinary approach, working with the best scientific minds and using valuable genetic material collected and stored in our wildlife DNA biobank," said Paul A. Baribault, president of the San Diego Zoo Global. in a press release.
As we said, this is the first time this species has been cloned and according to scientists, this could provide an important model for future conservation efforts. "Advanced reproductive technologies, including cloning, can save species by allowing us to restore genetic diversity. that otherwise would have been lost in time, ”said Ryan Phelan, executive director of Revive & Restore.
Unfortunately, however, this foal will live in the zoo and be part of a breeding program. It has been cloned from a cell line stored in the Frozen Zoo since 1980. The donor horse was born in 1975 in the UK, then moved to the US in 1978 and lived until 1998.
"This foal should be one of the most genetically important individuals of its kind," said Bob Wiese Ph.D., chief life sciences officer at San Diego Zoo Global. "We hope that it will carry an important genetic variation for the future of the Przewalski horse population."
Previously extinct in the wild, Przewalski's horse is currently only found in zoos. Which unfortunately is not good news ...
"Although ongoing reintroductions since the 90s have established several wild herds on grasslands in China and Mongolia, maintaining genetic variation is likely to be an important part of ensuring the species' survival in the future," they explain again from the zoo.
San Diego Zoo Global has partnered with Revive & Restore, a wildlife conservation group that aims to incorporate biotechnology into conservation efforts, and ViaGen Equine, a company that clones horses and pets.
Fonte: Zoo in San Diego
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