Cloning to Save Endangered Species

Throughout its short history, animal cloning has been achieved amidst swirling controversy. Any scientific practice that deals with the primary stuff of life - and presumes to alter it as humans see fit - will inevitably strike to the heart of moral and ethical debate and raise questions as fundamental as what we really think life, and its purpose, is. It seems safe to assume that cloning will continue for decades to come; and the controversy that surrounds it now will probably continue unabated, as well.

Scientists who work in the field of genetic engineering - and especially those who conduct cloning experiments - have been accused at times of trying to play God. While we might shudder at the thought of tampering with nature's designs, however, the fact remains that we humans have already altered the natural balance of the world for the simple reason that we exist in such numbers. We can't now live comfortably without threatening the stability of other life forms. Consider, also, that humans have a long history of tampering with nature consciously to produce desired results. Look at selective breeding, which has been going on for centuries. Cloning can be seen as a simply different - and quicker - means to the same end.

The continued growth of our own species will probably make it impossible for us to preserve enough natural habitat for other species. What's more, many countries are too poor to contribute to conservation efforts. Cloning offers the possibility of preserving the genetic stock of species that are endangered. Scientists are working towards a worldwide network of repositories to hold frozen tissue from specimens of endangered species; they hope that this kind of "genetic trust fund" can be drawn upon to reconstitute entire populations of a given species.