Cloned wolves “Daehan” and “Minguk” will be mated with female clones as early as next month in an experiment by local scientists to test their reproductive capabilities. / Yonhap |
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
The world's first cloned wolves will be mated with other clones in an experiment by local scientists to see whether they can reproduce normally, the researchers said Wednesday.
A team led by Seoul National University (SNU) researcher Lee Byeong-cheon, widely considered as the world's top expert in canine cloning, plans to pair the two wolves at the zoo of Seoul Grand Park sometime between March and April. Considering the reproductive cycles of the animals, cubs could be expected around spring next year, Lee said.
Lee's team produced the world's first cloned wolves, females named Snuwolfy and Snuwolf, in October 2005. The male clones, named ``Daehan'' and ``Minguk,'' were born in August the following year.
The female wolves are currently at Seoul Grand Park, while their would-be mates are at the Cheongju Land Zoo in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.
``The mating of wolves, even for natural ones, would be a very tricky process, and it would require tight collaboration between the veterinarian researchers at SNU, Seoul Grand Park and Cheongju Land,'' Lee said.
``We have been closely monitoring the growth of the female clones at Seoul Grand Park, and we concluded that the male clones are ready for breeding since watching them since August last year.
``We will pair one female and a male at a time in a special environment at Seoul Grand Park made to resemble natural breeding habitats. The wolves would need the time to get intimate with each other, and considering that the mating season for the female wolves comes around in March, we could see some results as early as spring next year."
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