https://www.kristv.com/news/nationa...nRD1XxhjKm9HHFJtgEZiNn-p2jYyJNOsvVSwxpZM

By: Dan Grossman
Posted at 2:56 PM, Mar 01, 2021
and last updated 2:56 PM, Mar 01, 2021

Conservation in the United States took a big step recently when U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW) announced it had successfully cloned the first endangered species native to North America: the black-footed ferret.

USFW announced the cloning on Feb. 18, saying it had cloned a new ferret, Elizabeth Ann, from stored tissue taken from a black-footed ferret that died more than 30 years ago.

“It just brings hope,” said Kimberly Fraser, an outreach specialist for USFW.

Black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct until 1981 when a rancher in Wyoming found a body of a deceased one on his front porch. That rancher took the remains to a taxidermist, who alerted U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and for a few years, the population flourished, until disease wiped out all but 20 in 1987.

Of those 20, two died and their tissue was stored in San Diego for decades until scientists received a permit to try and clone the endangered animal in 2018.

“Here we are, 30-some years later, and the technology is such that they can take that material from 1987 and clone a ferret,” said Fraser.

Since 1991, 300 black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced into the wild, but they are all essentially half-siblings since they stem from seven unique ferrets.

Kimberly Ann resembles an eighth, meaning genetic diversity among the species is set to increase once she is able to breed in a few years.

“With respect to the reintroduction efforts we’re trying to establish in the wild has a very limited genetic pool,” said Pete Gober, the black-footed ferret recovery coordinator for U.S. Fish and Wildlife. “When you have a limited genetic diversity, you have less resilience to various kinds of challenges in the environment.”

Elizabeth Ann is the first cloned animal native to North America and the second cloned endangered animal ever.
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Over the years I've seen various stories and opinions about bringing back all sorts of creatures. I think it would be cool to see a wooly mammoth.

I thought a few years ago they discovered more of those ferrets in the wild. Maybe they died to. Edk

I'd like my own personal cloned Megan Fox.

Emergency order for 49 more Kristi Noems please...

They spent millions and millions to reintroduce them to prairie dog towns.


The coyotes and hawks ate all of them.

D'oh!

What would that tag cost ??

-Jake

Fixt it for you!

Here we go... caliber and recipes anyone?

And I thought was going to be about conservative Texans....😁

Searching for genetic material to clone a vice president....

1) How did we go from "thought to be extinct" to one dying on a ranchers porch, to a thriving population and then only 20? Thought to be extinct then a dead one but next a thriving population.

2) How does introducing a clone into a population increase genetic diversity?

The people with the job titles in that article need to get real jobs.

Hey Fioreball2 what's your real job?

Captive breeding brought them back . The clone is an original ferret that died many years ago, her genes are likely not in the gene pool now.

Sorry
slo-jo is already over 60.

Please take another number and return to the end of the line.

Oh damnit! I thought you were talking about straight, White men!

Jim, they are still trying to get the Ferrets going. I think the hawks and coyotes are keeping them from over populating!

If I'm not mistaken, they are still trying to get em going in Custer State Park in the Black Hills. There's sure enough plenty of food for them.

A little known fact is that a good percentage of those released million $ ferrets are killed by coyotes in a relatively short time.

Yep!