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Renewed attempt to clone extinct animal

dnaAttempts will be made to see if an extinct mountain goat can be cloned from preserved cells.

The bucardo, or Pyrenean ibex, died out in 2000, but cells were taken from the last known female in 1999 and frozen in liquid nitrogen.

Scientists now have been given funding to renew their experiments.

In 2003, a calf created through cloning was born, but died just after it was born due to a lung defect. It was the first time a lost species had been brought back from extinction.

The work initially is to discover if the frozen cells are still alive. In addition to this in vitro work, the scientists will attempt to clone embryos and implant them in female goats.

The bucardo was geared to enduring the extreme cold and snow of winter in the Pyrenees. It differed genetically from other mountain goats. But its populating was dwindling until only one remained. Tissues were removed before she was killed by a falling tree.

During the first experiment, scientists injected some of her preserved cells into surrogate ibex and domestic goats. Seven became pregnant, but only one was carried to term.

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