Philippine scientists are working to create the first cloned water buffalo. Cloning this breed of water buffalo is expected to bring significant economic benefits to farmers in the Philippines.
In the Philippines, there are female water buffaloes referred to as “super buffaloes” due to their ability to produce up to 16 liters of milk daily, while average water buffaloes in the country can only yield about 8 liters of milk per day. Therefore, scientists at the Philippine Carabao Research Center aim to clone the “super buffalo” to help increase milk production.
From skin samples taken from the ear of the “super buffalo,” scientists extract genetic material from the cell nucleus. This genetic material is then transferred into the unfertilized eggs of a female buffalo. The egg containing the DNA of the water buffalo is stimulated with an electric current to initiate the cell division process. The surrogate mother carrying the egg with the “super buffalo” DNA will undergo a pregnancy lasting approximately 300 days.
Despite facing many challenges, the scientists at the Philippine Carabao Research Center remain hopeful that the gestation process will yield positive results.
Dr. Libertado Cruz, director of the Philippine Carabao Research Center, stated: “I am very confident that our research will achieve progress. We will soon produce a cloned water buffalo, and possibly many more will be born next year.”
If successful, this could be great news for a country estimated to have around 3 million farmers raising water buffaloes. This achievement will help boost milk production among the breed and improve the income of millions of farmers.
