Home » Technology » July 5, 1996: Birth of the First Cloned Animal, Dolly the Sheep

July 5, 1996: Birth of the First Cloned Animal, Dolly the Sheep

Dolly’s birth was publicly announced in February 1997 into a storm of controversy. On the one hand, proponents argue that cloning technology could lead to important advances in medicine.

Production of genetically modified animals into organ donors for humans as well as “therapeutic” cloning, or the process of cloning embryos to collect stem cells for use in developing treatments for degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Some scientists also view animal cloning as a possible way to preserve endangered species.

On the other hand, critics see the new cloning technology as potentially unsafe and unethical, especially when it is applied to what many see as the next logical step: human cloning.

During her short life, Dolly bred a ram named David and eventually gave birth to four lambs.

In January 2002 he was found to have arthritis in his hind legs, a diagnosis which raised questions about the genetic abnormalities that may have been caused in the cloning process. After suffering from progressive lung disease, Dolly was ‘rested’ for the last time on February 14, 2003, at the age of six.

His initial death raised more questions about the safety of cloning, both animal and human. As for Dolly, the historic sheep was taxidermied and is now on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

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