Is cloning an answer for the endangered species?
The gray wolf—a predator once hunted to near extinction in the United States—now joins a small but growing number of endangered species that have been cloned. South Korean scientists announced Monday that they duplicated two gray wolves using the same method that produced Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned mammal.
The process is known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
“This study demonstrated that SCNT is a practical approach for conserving endangered canids [which include dogs, wolves, andfoxes],” wrote the research team, led by Byeong Chun Lee, a professor at Seoul National University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
In South Korea, the researchers said, gray wolves are rarely found in the wild and only a small number live in captivity.
The clones, named SnuWolf and SnuWolffy, were born in October 2005.
Researchers reportedly delayed the announcement because disgraced stem-cell researcher Woo Suk Hwang is listed as one of the study authors, which prompted additional verification to confirm the clones were real.
An investigation by Seoul National University officials last year found that Hwang fabricated key stem-cell research, including claims to have cloned the first human embryo in 2004.
News of the world’s first cloned wolves didn’t impress Peter Siminski, director of conservation and education at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California. More on National Geographic
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