China confirms first successful cloning of endangered Xizang cattle breeds

China has successfully cloned both Zhangmu cattle and Apeijiaza cattle, two endangered breeds found in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, scientists announced Monday.

Four male calves of each breed were recently born in Yunyang County in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, marking the world's first successful cloning of cattle from Xizang.

The Zhangmu and the Apeijiaza, two rare yellow cattle breeds native to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, are strategic resources for China, as these breeds can help researchers breed varieties well adapted to the harsh high-altitude environment.

To urgently bring back these animals from the brink of extinction, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs dispatched a research team to Xizang in 2022 to conduct body measurements and collect blood samples and ear tissue of the two types of cattle.

As there are currently no suitable conditions for cloning in Xizang, Yunyang County was chosen due to its climate and terrain resembling that of the cattle's native habitat and for its cattle breeding technology.

(Reported by Xiao Jiangchuan; Edited by Qi Yiling)