A cloned black-footed ferret has successfully reproduced for the first time, marking a major milestone for cloning programs for endangered species.
The Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday that Antonia, a black-footed ferret who was born last year through cloning technology, gave birth to a litter of three kits. While one did not survive, two of the endangered ferrets — a male and a female — “are in good health and meeting developmental milestones,” FWS said.
Antonia’s ability to successfully breed with a non-cloned black-footed ferret and produce healthy offspring is evidence of cloning technology’s ability to create sustained species recovery, those involved with the project say.
“The successful breeding and subsequent birth of Antonia’s kits marks a major milestone in endangered species conservation,” Paul Marinari, senior curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, said in a statement. “The many partners in the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program continue their innovative and inspirational efforts to save this species and be a model for other conservation programs across the globe.”
