Summary
In a groundbreaking achievement, a cloned black-footed ferret named Antonia has become the first cloned endangered animal in the U.S. to successfully produce offspring.
Antonia, cloned from 1988 tissue samples of a ferret named Willa, gave birth to three kits, two of which—Red Cloud and Sibert—are healthy.
This milestone is celebrated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation partners.
The introduction of Antonia’s genetically diverse offspring could enhance the species’ genetic diversity and contribute to its long-term recovery.
Not exactly. The Blackfooted Ferret isn’t extinct, so we do have their DNA. We don’t have any DNA from dinosaurs or pterosaurs. Conceivably we could restore an animal like the carrier pigeon from preserved specimens, but the problem with cloning is that all the clones have the exact same DNA. Antonia can mate with extant ferrets to make a new generation of ferrets. Careful breeding plans and subsequent cloning could rebuild the ferret population in a controlled environment.