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Scientists have cloned the first endangered animal! The baby black-footed ferret was born from the DNA of an animal that lived over 30 years ago.
The baby ferret is named Elizabeth Ann. She was born at a Fish and Wildlife Service breeding facility in Colorado. Her species is endangered due to habitat loss as ranchers shot them off their land. Scientists have also successfully bred them in captivity to prevent their extinction.
Cloned animals have not yet been released into the wild successfully. Scientists worry about them being susceptible to parasites and disease but they are hopeful they can modify their genes for survival. Next, they want to clone extinct species such as the passenger pigeon.
