China successfully clones world's first Tibetan goats

(ECNS) -- Chinese scientists have successfully cloned two Tibetan goats with body cells for the first time in northwest China's Qinghai Province, marking a significant breakthrough in Tibetan goat conservation and breeding.

The donor cells for the two cloned Tibetan goats were harvested from three rams and one ewe. One of the rams is a 200-kilogram Oula sheep.

The first-born Tibetan goat weighed 3.4 kilograms and remains in good physical conditions.

The Tibetan goat industry has became the main source of income for local herders, who often face challenges in breeding sufficient livestock.

The initial pregnancy rate of the 43 recipients after transfer of cloned embryos reached 58.1 percent, and 37.2 percent after 120 days.

Su Jianmin, a scientist from Northwest A&F University said the cloning research can help promote good varieties of Tibetan goat and boost local incomes local.