World's First Cloned Camel Born in Dubai

The first cloned camel (Photo courtesy Camel Reproduction Centre)

"This is the first cloned camel in the world," said Dr. Nisar Wani, a researcher at the center.

Born April 8 after an uncomplicated gestation of 378 days, the clone was produced using DNA extracted from cells from the ovaries of an animal that was slaughtered for its meat in 2005.

The DNA was placed in an egg taken from a surrogate camel mother to create a reconstructed embryo, and that embryo was then implanted in the surrogate mother’s uterus.

Injaz was the only calf born alive from seven induced pregnancies, the Camel Reproduction Center said in a statement.

"This significant breakthrough in our research program gives a means of preserving the valuable genetics of our elite racing and milk producing camels in the future," Dr. Lulu Skidmore, scientific director at the Camel Reproduction Centre, said in a statement.

Injaz is the result of five years of work by scientists at the Camel Reproduction Centre and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in a project initiated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

While Injaz was replicated from a camel chosen at random, in the future scientists will attempt to clone elite racing and milk camels - an idea supported by Sheikh Mohammed.

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