Endangered Jeju Cattle Cloned
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
South Korean scientists Monday reported a surviving clone of an endangered cattle species native to Jeju Island.
Researchers here have been exploring the possibilities of using cloning technology to save endangered animals.
A team led by Park Se-pil, a fertility expert at Cheju National University, revealed a 5-month-old "Jeju Black," male calf, of which there are only 400 surviving animals on the island today.
An independent genetic test has confirmed the calf as a genuine clone, the researchers said.
Park's team used somatic cell nuclear transfer to clone the subject bull, a technique first pioneered for Dolly the sheep.
Six surrogate mothers gave birth in March, but "Heukdori" was the only one to survive.
Another surrogate mother is expected to give birth in September, Park said.
"We implanted cloned eggs into 59 cows used as surrogate mothers. Six of them had pregnancies, which gives us a 10 percent success rate," Park said.
"We believe that this represents an advancement in the genetic preservation of animals, and also a valuable experience in establishing systems for fertilized eggs and implants."
Jeju Black cattle, distinctive for their pitch-black color, have been traditionally regarded as a premium food ingredient.
Their beef had been delivered to the royal family regularly since the Goryeo Kingdom era.
Despite the embarrassment caused by disgraced gene scientist Hwang Woo-suk, Korean researchers have been pushing forward with their efforts in animal cloning.
There has been increasing attempts to use the technology to save endangered animals.
In 2005, a research team led by Seoul National University (SNU)'s Lee Byeong-cheon, a former Hwang colleague, successfully produced the world's first cloned wolves, females "Snuwolf" and "Snuwolfy."