First clones of ferrets to save them.
First clones of ferrets to save them.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service revealed the arrival of two newborn clones of black-footed ferrets, named Norin and Antonia, both ferrets share the same genetic material as Elizabethn, the pioneering black-footed ferret clone.
The three ferrets Elizabeth, Norin and Antonia were cloned using tissue samples obtained in 1988 from a black-footed ferret named Willard. The samples have on average three times more unique genetic variations than the current population and are preserved in the Frozen Zoo of the Diego zo wildlife alliance.
Existing populations, both captive and reintroduced, are descended from these founder animals, with only seven genetic founders. The genetic diversity of the black-footed ferret has been a concern in the captive breeding program, in addition to genetic bottlenecks, diseases such as Wild plague and canine cynomosis complicate efforts to restore their population.
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They are so cute 🥰
yes, more than babies