Cloning to save stag
2005-03-06 16:50
Santiago - Researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of Chile have for the last two years been working on a project to clone the huemul, a rare kind of stag found only in southern Chile and Argentina, the university said on its website Friday.
The huemul is in danger of extinction and scientists have taken cells from the animal, grown them and frozen them, so that in the future they might be implanted in a substitute mother, which could be a red stag.
A cloned embryo should be implanted in an animal of the same species, but there are very few live huemules left. The cells are extracted from the animal's ear.
"Our aim is to preserve this species, which, regrettably, is threatened" with extinction, said veterinary physician Mariana Rojas.
The project is receiving financial help from France. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA