A cloned horse was born in Texas and it could potentially revive the endangered Przewalski’s horse population.
The colt is a clone of a male Przewalski’s horse. It was born on August 6th through a domestic surrogate mother and is the first successful clone of the species.
Przewalski’s horse are known as the last wild horse. They originated in Europe and Asia and over time, their numbers shrank due to environmental change and human expansion.
For the last 40 years, these horses were primarily seen in zoos, however, some have been spotted in Asia, specifically Mongolia.
According to Ryan Phelan, a director for Revive and Restore, a wildlife conservation organization, “the birth expands the opportunity for genetic rescue of endangered wild species......Advanced reproductive technologies, including cloning, can save species by allowing us to restore genetic diversity that would have otherwise been lost to time.”
In a news release by the San Diego Zoo, as the clone grows and successfully breeds he will provide genetic diversity for the population.
The baby horse was named Kurt in honor of Kurt Benirschke who was instrumental in founding the San Diego Frozen Zoo and the conservation research program at the San Diego Zoo Global.
“This colt is expected to be one of the most genetically important individuals of his species,” Bob Wiese, chief life sciences officer at San Diego Zoo Global, said.