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Endangered Horse Species Given New Life Thanks to WT Partner, Others

ClonedHorse
Chip Chandler Sep 28, 2020
  • Agriculture
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Endangered Horse Species Given New Life Thanks to WT Partner, Others

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — There’s a new wild child kicking up his heels at Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital.

Kurt is a young Przewalski’s horse — a colt cloned from the DNA of a male cryopreserved by the San Diego Zoo in 1980.

“This is the only horse that’s still considered wild on the planet today,” said world-renowned equine cloning expert Dr. Gregg Veneklasen, owner of Timber Creek Veterinary and an adjunct professor at West Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Przewalski’s horses were considered extinct in the wild until the 1990s, when wild herds were reintroduced thanks to breeding programs. But all of the living horses are related to 12 that were born in the wild, so there’s a lack of genetic diversity. Maintaining genetic variation is likely to be an important part of ensuring the species’ survival in the future, according to the San Diego Zoo.

That’s where cloning comes in: Venklasen works with ViaGen Equine, which has foaled hundreds of cloned horses over the past 15 years. ViaGen partnered with the zoo and Revive & Restore, a leading wildlife conservation organization that focuses on increasing biodiversity through genetic rescue of endangered and extinct species.

“This new Przewalski’s colt was born fully healthy and reproductively normal,” said Shawn Walker, chief science officer at ViaGen Equine. “He is head butting and kicking when his space is challenged, and he is demanding milk supply from his surrogate mother.”

“This is world-class science,” said Dr. Lance Kieth, department head of agricultural sciences at WT. “And this stuff is happening right here. WT is blessed to have Gregg as part of our program.”

Maggie Murphy, a WT student from Peyton, Colo., who is pursuing her master’s and doctoral degrees simultaneously, agreed.

“It is a dream project for any grad student, being able to work with a horse that is this special,” Murphy said. “There’s not very many other veterinarians like Dr. Veneklasen.”

Veneklasen’s clinic will board the foal until it is weaned from his mother in about five months. In the meantime, he’s a living example of advances in conservation efforts and the need for genetic diversity for WT veterinary and animal science students, including those in the new VERO (Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach) program. VERO’s 2+2 veterinarian training program will allow Texas A&M veterinary students to elect to spend their first two years on WT’s campus for increased exposure to large animal needs in rural communities.

Students like Eryah Mora, a pre-veterinary major from Wiggins, Colo., even got to watch Kurt’s birth.

“It was just like any other birth,” Mora said. “But you’re scared. You don’t want something to happen because it’s such a special baby.”

Jessica Looman, a Durango, Colo., native who’s pursuing her master’s degree in animal science, said she’s grateful that she’s attending WT because of partnerships like those between Veneklasen, ViaGen and the zoo.

“It’s so cool that this happens in Canyon and that Dr. Veneklasen wants to share it with everyone,” Looman said. “You don’t have to go to a big zoo to see Kurt yet.”

Partnering with community experts and advancing scientific progress are in line with the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

 

 

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 38 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 15 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

 

—WTAMU—