Scientists at a US zoo have successfully cloned a Przewalski's horse, raising hopes the endangered species can be saved.
The horse was born on August 6 after being cloned using the DNA of a male Przewalski’s horse cryopreserved by the San Diego Zoo Global in 1980, the facility announced on Friday.
The foal was born to a surrogate mother and is the first of his species to be cloned.
Przewalski’s horses are native to the steppes of central Asia are considered the only remaining species of "wild horse" left in the world.
They are thought of as distant cousins of modern day domestic horses, having likely split from a common ancestor around 500,000 years ago.
They became extinct in the wild before an intensive breeding program in captivity provided the means to reintroduce them.
While ongoing reintroductions since the 1990s have established several wild herds on grasslands in China and Mongolia, all of the surviving horses are related to 12 Przewalski’s horses born in the wild.
The lack of genetic diversity has prompted concerns about the long-term prospects for the species as maintaining genetic variation is seen as crucial to ensuring the animals' survival in the future.
As such, the zoo said the cloned Przewalski’s horse — named Kurt after Dr Kurt Benirschke, the founder of the San Diego Zoo Global Frozen Zoo — will eventually be transferred to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and integrated into a herd of other Przewalski’s horses for breeding.
“This colt is expected to be one of the most genetically important individuals of his species,” said Bob Wiese, chief life sciences officer at San Diego Zoo Global.
“We are hopeful that he will bring back genetic variation important for the future of the Przewalski’s horse population.”
San Diego Zoo Global teamed up 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 - to successfully clone the Przewalski’s horse.
“This birth expands the opportunity for genetic rescue of endangered wild species,” said Ryan Phelan, executive director of Revive & Restore, in a statement.
“Advanced reproductive technologies, including cloning, can save species by allowing us to restore genetic diversity that would have otherwise been lost to time.”
