Chinese researchers have succeeded in cloning an arctic wolf.

This is a wolf called Maya and born on June 10th.

A world first which Mi Jidong, the director of the Chinese company Sinogene Biotechnology, welcomed during a press conference given in Beijing on Monday, notes the state media

Global Times

.

The start of research on this cloning dates back to 2020. The scientists were inspired by the technique used to clone the sheep Dolly in 1996. They were able to recover a cell from an arctic wolf who died in 2021. By extracting the nucleus, they have could establish the genome of the species.

The nucleus was then injected into the egg of a female dog.

The researchers took care to remove the reproductive cell from the animal to prevent the two DNAs from getting confused.

A major event "

85 embryos were thus obtained.

They were introduced into the wombs of seven beagles.

From there was born Maya.

This birth is a “significant event, which is of great importance for the protection of wildlife in the world and the restoration of endangered species”, estimates the Chinese National Institute of Food and Drug Control.

The animal would be in very good health and is destined to integrate the Harbin Polarland park in northeast China.

The arctic wolf, also called white wolf or polar wolf, is not an endangered species, recalls

Geo

.

The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) has included it in the category of “least concern”.

A solution for endangered species?

Most wolves live north of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago known for its very harsh climate and where hunters are rare.

A situation that protects animals from humans.

But they are threatened by global warming which has consequences on their diet, and by human constructions which cross their territory such as roads.

Cloning would be a solution to the problem of endangered species.

Another wolf is expected to be born in the coming months, according to Sinogene Biotechnology.

Science

There are at least 20 million billion ants on Earth

Planet

Leclerc creates controversy by selling blue shark, an endangered species

  • Wolf

  • Animals

  • Threatened species

  • China

  • Cloning

  • Planet