| The 21th century has begun, and with it came | | | | Benirschke, a physician, started the first |
| the perfecting of new "weapons" to fight | | | | "Frozen Zoo". He started gathering cells from |
| against several species extinction. | | | | the most endangered species such as cheetahs, |
| Biotechnology is what is now being used to | | | | pandas, chimpanzees, scimitar-horned oryxes, |
| help getting species out of the list of | | | | black-footed ferrets, and California condors, |
| endangered animals. But biotech on its own is | | | | having in mind a backup resource to fight |
| not the answer. Saving natural habitat is | | | | extinction. Nowadays, many scientists and |
| essential and involves commitment on our part | | | | physicians are combining assisted breeding, |
| since we are the ones to put a stop to what | | | | wildlife management, and re-introduction of |
| we started: overexploitation, deforestation, | | | | animals bred in captivity to have successful |
| pollution, over-hunting, CO2 emissions, etc. | | | | results. |
| | | | |
| Cloning is one of the "weapons" being used to | | | | However, biotechnology is not the only |
| recreate animal endangered of becoming | | | | answer. There are several measures to be |
| extinct. A project to recuperate the European | | | | taken in order to have a satisfactory outcome |
| mouflon population has been carried out | | | | in our fight to save endangered animals. |
| successfully. The European mouflon is a wild | | | | Stopping natural habitat destruction is one |
| sheep that inhabits the Mediterranean islands | | | | of them. There are many items in the list of |
| of Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Other | | | | actions we have to perform in order to have |
| ongoing projects involve the banteng (a | | | | really good results. Many good examples of |
| species of Asian cattle), small cats such as | | | | actions with great results are the |
| the African wild cat, several antelope | | | | conservation areas, which are sanctuaries to |
| species, and even the giant panda, which | | | | the species protected by it. For instance, |
| China has being doing cloning using rabbits | | | | the Royal Chitwan National Park, which |
| as surrogate mothers for the cubs. But many | | | | protects the Indian rhino and the Bengal |
| critics say that cloning just give a false | | | | tiger, and the protected areas in Madagascar, |
| sense of security. They say it shouldn't be | | | | which include tropical rainforests, lime |
| our main "weapon", but a backup element. | | | | stones, wetlands, and thus, a variety of |
| | | | animals. There are also several marine |
| This fight has definitely expanded to the | | | | conservation areas which account for the |
| laboratory. Techniques such as artificial | | | | protection of sea turtles and many marine |
| insemination, in-vitro fertilization, and | | | | fish. All these actions are part of a greater |
| inter species embryo transferences are being | | | | fight: mankind fight to restore life on Earth |
| used to help endangered animals to breed. It | | | | back to reasonable conditions, including all |
| is biotech conservationism. In 1975, Kurt | | | | endangered animals. |