Can Cloning Save Endangered Species?

Cloning is a very controversial topic in the science world. Some justify animal cloning, because it might someday help us in curing human diseases and cancers. Others say animal cloning is unethical and cruel punishment for the animals, especially considering that cloning is of no benefit to them. However, what about if the cloning is beneficial for the animals? What about if the cloning can save endangered species from extinction? 


            The debate about these questions will linger on as long as we are alive on this planet. There will always be two sides: one side supporting cloning as it can be of benefit to humans and animals alike, while there will be others against biotechnological advancements, such as cloning no matter what. Regardless of all the controversy, I believe cloning can be beneficial especially with the intent of preserving rare wildlife. 


            The book talks about ways of preserving certain species those are in danger. The story of Noah comes to mind, as the animal was the very first endangered species clone. Noah is an identical copy of a rare wild ox, which made headlines in 2001, when his birth shed some light on whether it is possible to clone endangered animals for the purpose of preserving them. A little more then a day after he was alive, Noah became sick and was dead within two days. Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology said, "Cloning had nothing to do with Noah's death, but it is tough to say this for sure especially considering all prior animals that have been cloned have had serious health issues. While Noah's death was sad to see, was the intent behind his cloning completely wrong? Through Noah's death, scientists are better able to understand the challenges of cloning and could potentially be able to eradicate their mistakes, but we also are able to understand one more thing "Cloning these rare animals is about more than money or companionship—it’s about survival."

            Now the question is can science help preserve endangered species from going extinct. In Frankenstein’s Cat, Betsy Dresser says on the topic, "The prospect of using cloning to save endangered species is a big dream, one that will require many researchers and many years to pull off." However, Emily Anthes says, "“… To many biologists, cloning is all sizzle and no substance, a high-tech spectacle that fails to address habitat loss, poaching, pollution, and the other human activities that put wildlife at risk in the first place…" On one hand we have Dr. Betsy Dresser saying cloning can be beneficial but from the quote above we see Emily Anthes saying in essence "human beings are the ones making animals endangered species". 

            In Brazil the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corp. and the Brasilia Zoological Garden set up a project in which they began collecting samples of sperm, blood, umbilical cord cells from wild animals. The two groups collected tissue samples of over 420 species of many endangered, rare species all in the hope of cloning them. The article brings up some good points, many of these animals are in danger because of human beings destroying their ecosystems and hunting them. Why should we bother saving these samples and cloning these animals when there is less than a five percent success rate? The article mentions that cloning is not feasible because cloning, simply put has not been successful. In addition, the article mentions current cloning techniques are just not effective and won't make much of a difference. 

            The article talks about why scientists think cloning can be very successful but the reality of the matter is that since cloning of endangered species began there have been no successful clones, as all the clones have died prematurely and those that lived to be alive died before adulthood. Another important thing to keep in mind is that a lot of pregnancies must be done before a successful clone is even born. Yet, researchers and scientists alike are holding out on the hope that cloning will be able to revive endangered species as well as increase genetic diversity once again. Martha Gomes says, "I'm not saying cloning is going to save endangered species," Gomez says, "but I am still a believer of cloning as another tool. It's not easy, though. The research moves slow."

WORKS CITED

Anthes, Emily. Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts. 1st. Edition. New York: Scientific American, 2013. Print.

"Will Cloning Ever Save Endangered Animals?: Scientific American." Will Cloning Ever Save Endangered Animals?: Scientific American. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013