The Hindu : Front Page : `Spotty' arrives in town

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2006

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Front Page

`Spotty' arrives in town

Special Correspondent

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: The newly-born fawn at Nehru Zoo.

HYDERABAD: In the first successful artificial insemination in the country of a spotted deer, Nehru Zoological Park here witnessed the birth of a live fawn `Spotty,' thanks to a path-breaking work by scientists of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).

Lalji Singh, CCMB Director and principal investigator of the project along with Deputy Director S. Shivaji announced the fawn's birth (it was born on March 14) at a press conference here on Tuesday. In 1996, Dolly, a sheep, was cloned in Scotland which died six years later.

Dr. Singh attributed the success to the long-term project of CCMB's Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES). The CCMB had undertaken studies to standardise techniques for assisted reproduction at the zoo using the spotted deer as a model for the other critically endangered deer.

In select club

He said one of the three females which were inseminated conceived after four-and-a-half months. The scientists were delighted when the animal delivered the fawn after eight months. This achievement could form the basis for future attempts to increase the number of endangered animals.

With this accomplishment, India has joined the select group of Australia and the US. Dr. Singh explained that the primary objective of LaCONES was to conserve endangered animals by using modern techniques of DNA fingerprinting, genetic polymorphism analysis and assisted reproductive techniques such as artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilisation, cryo-banking of DNA cells and tissues and eventually somatic cell cloning.

Scientists — G. Umapathy and S. D. Sontakke — were present along with K.S. Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, and A.V. Joseph, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

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