Friday 29 October 2010

Bringing extinct animals back from the dead

Amplify’d from www.bbc.co.uk

Clone zone: Bringing extinct animals back from the dead

Sun bear at Colchester Zoo
Sun bears are very small, but extremely fierce

There are team briefings, kit is checked and then checked again.

But dealing with South East Asia's sun bear is not straightforward. It is the world's smallest bear - but also one of the most dangerous.

Today, two are being moved between zoos in the UK - from the Rare Species Conservation Centre in Kent to Colchester Zoo in Essex.

But while the bears are anaesthetised and given an essential check-up before their journey, it also gives Dr Masters access to a precious resource: their DNA.

Dr Masters explains: "We are losing species too quickly, therefore we ought to preserve at least the genetic material that has taken millions and millions of years to evolve."

The sun bear samples are heading to the Frozen Ark, which has its headquarters at the University of Nottingham.

Read more at www.bbc.co.uk
 

No comments: