Black-Footed Ferret Cloned from a 1988 Specimen Makes History by Giving Birth to Two Kits
Antonia, a cloned black-footed ferret, has given birth to two healthy kits, marking the first successful reproduction of a cloned endangered species in the United States, according to a report by IFL Science on November 5.
Cloned black-footed ferret Antonia. (Photo: Roshan Patel/Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute/FWS).
Antonia, along with her cloned sisters Elizabeth-Ann and Noreen, were born from frozen cells of Willa, a black-footed ferret that died in 1988. Elizabeth-Ann was born in 2020, while Antonia and Noreen were born earlier this year.
The genetic material from Willa was preserved by the Frozen Zoo of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. This preservation is crucial, as Willa’s DNA contains three times the genetic variation of current black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes).
The decline in genetic diversity is due to the fact that all living black-footed ferrets today are descended from just seven individuals. This reduction in genetic diversity puts them at risk for certain diseases. Therefore, scientists hope that reintroducing Willa’s genes into the gene pool can restore the necessary diversity.
Initially, Elizabeth-Ann was expected to be the first to give birth, but underdeveloped reproductive organs and a health condition hindered that possibility. Now, Antonia has made history for the black-footed ferret by becoming the first cloned individual of this endangered species to reproduce.
Three-week-old black-footed ferret kits. (Photo: Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute/FWS).
The two precious kits were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and the National Zoo in Front Royal, Virginia. Experts here are thrilled about their arrival.
“The successful breeding and subsequent birth of Antonia marks an important milestone in the conservation of endangered species. Partners in the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program continue to execute innovative and inspiring efforts to protect this species, setting an example for other conservation programs worldwide,” said Paul Marinari, senior manager at SCBI of the Smithsonian.
