also like…this guy successfully cloned an endangered species and used it in a breeding program. that’s insane
and what’s more is, the sheep is supposed to be a substitute for an endangered species that trophy hunters can hunt, so like…wouldn’t this help protect the species from poaching?
I’m not saying it’s right to illegally import endangered animal parts and use them to clone an endangered animal, or to experimentally hybridize that animal with other species similar to it, i’m just saying it’s really cool. that’s all
it’s also kind of insane that he could be fined $250,000 for each charge and go to prison for 5 years. like. In terms of the environment corporations are doing things that are dramatically worse and the penalties are like .0001% of what would be proportionate. Resource extraction by USA based companies demonstrably kills thousands of endangered animals. It seems a little bit excessive to more severely punish a guy for cloning an endangered animal and shipping dead animal parts across borders
I think the biggest concern with this is disease—the foreign sheep parts could have some rare virus in them that spreads to wild sheep in the USA and devastates the population
and just, also the fact that poaching to satisfy rich people’s raging bloodthirst for rare items would plunder the whole world if unchecked
On the other hand, IIRC Texas hunting ranches are the only reason scimitar-horned oryx was able to make a comeback (It was extinct in the wild).
What about the ram he cloned? Will it go to a zoo or something where it can live out its days (Assuming it’s not fit to be released into the wild)
