U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced that scientists have cloned a black-footed ferret from the cells of an animal that died over 30 years ago.
Named Elizabeth Ann, the ferret was born Dec. 10 and is a genetic reproduction of a black-footed ferret named Willa who died in 1988. The project is an effort to bring back the endangered animal. It was thought the ferret was nearly extinct until seven were discovered in Wyoming in 1981 and a captive breeding program was established.
“Maintaining and increasing wild populations and suitable habitat continues to be essential for black-footed ferret recovery and will remain a priority for the Service,” Noreen Walsh, director of USFWS’ Mountain-Prairie Region, said in a statement. “Successful genetic cloning does not diminish the importance of addressing habitat-based threats to the species or USFWS’ focus on addressing habitat conservation and management to recover black-footed ferrets.”
