SHENZHEN, Guangdong - Six piglets cloned from an animal famous for surviving more than amonth trapped under the rubble of the Wenchuan earthquake are developing at a steady pace,say scientists.
Du Yutao, who is leading the project, said the piglets are lively and growing day by day at theBeijing Genomics Institute's experimental base in Huizhou, Guangdong province.
"After several weeks of being taken care of by the staff here, each piglet weighs more than 6kilograms," the doctor told China Daily on Monday.
The animals' father - nicknamed Zhu Jianqiang, or strong pig, after the 2008 disaster inSichuan province - is unable to reproduce naturally. To help out, scientists collected cells andtook them to the institute's headquarters in Shenzhen on Feb 16 for further study.
After breeding the boar's fiber cells, technicians used manual technology to clone his embryos,which were then successfully implanted in two healthy sows on May 12 this year, the thirdanniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake.
The surrogates gave birth on Aug 31 and Sept 2 respectively, with the heaviest piglet just 1.6kg at birth, Du said.
"The clones are no different from common piglets in appearance, although clones are usuallythinner and have weaker constitutions," the doctor said, adding that each piglet has a blackbirthmark between their eyes and bears a striking resemblance to Zhu Jianqiang. Residentsand tourists cannot yet see the animals, as the experimental base is not open to the public.
China has cloned many animals in recent years, but it is the first time piglets have beenreproduced from a boar older than 5, which is equivalent to a 60-year-old human, Du said.
Zhu Jianqiang, who is now cared for in a museum in Sichuan, emerged from the rubble afterbeing buried 36 days. The 150-kg boar reportedly survived by chewing charcoal and drinkingrainwater.
Chen Hong contributed to this story.
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