First-ever birth from cloned ferret marks conservation milestone
Cloned ferret gives birth to offspring (collage: RBC-Ukraine)
At the Smithsonian National Zoo, a black-footed ferret has given birth to two healthy offspring — a milestone, as the black-footed ferret is endangered, and the mother, a ferret clone, was born through cloning, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
What is known about the birth of the ferret kits
The black-footed ferret, named Antonia, a clone, successfully gave birth to two healthy kits after mating with a three-year-old male ferret named Urchin.
Although one of the three kits died shortly after birth, the remaining two — a male and a female — are in good health and reaching key developmental milestones under the care of zoo staff. Antonia and her offspring will stay in the research center for ongoing studies, as there are no plans to release them into the wild.
This marks the first instance of offspring being born to a cloned species. According to Paul Marinari, senior curator at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the successful breeding and birth of Antonia's kits represents a significant step in efforts to save species on the brink of extinction.
Meanwhile, scientists continue collaborating with partners in the black-footed ferret recovery program with innovative initiatives to conserve the species.
How the ferret was cloned
Antonia was cloned using tissue samples from a black-footed ferret named Willa, collected in 1988. Researchers note that Willa’s genetic material holds three times more diversity than the current black-footed ferret population, which — excluding three clones and new offspring — descends from only seven surviving individuals.
The successful cloning of an endangered species marks a critical achievement in conservation genetics. It demonstrates that cloning technology can help restore genetic diversity and revive species.
Moreover, introducing previously absent genes could play a vital role in boosting genetic diversity, which is essential for the species’ healthy, long-term recovery.
For instance, this could help mitigate genetic weaknesses and disease predispositions that complicate black-footed ferret restoration.
Nonetheless, while this technology presents a promising new approach, it is one among many strategies for species recovery and natural habitat preservation efforts.
Earlier, we reported on what the largest alligator that has ever existed on the planet looks like.
