Cons on Cloning Animals

Cloning is the process of creating an organism that is genetically identical to another organism. Scientists have been cloning animals since 1952, when they cloned a tadpole. In 1996, scientists succeeded in cloning a mammal, a sheep named Dolly. Since then, sheep, goats, rabbits, cows, mice, pigs and cats have all been successfully cloned.

Sheep were first cloned in 1996. "Sheep" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: MarilynJane (Marilyn Peddle) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

Financial Costs

Cloning is expensive and inefficient. Fewer than 10 percent of cloning attempts successfully produce viable offspring.

Medical Problems

Cloned animals often suffer from compromised immune systems and have higher rates of infections and cancer.

Premature Death

Many cloned animals have died prematurely, often with no visible ailment.

Compromised Genes

A 2002 study at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass., found that the genomes of cloned mice are often compromised. Their research indicated that 4 percent of genes in cloned mice function abnormally.

Pet Cloning

Cloning often appeals to pet owners who wish to create a pet identical to the one they lost. The Humane Society of the United States discourages pet cloning, however, noting that cloning cannot exactly recreate an animal, and many animals in shelters are desperate for homes.

References

• Human Genome Project: Cloning Fact Sheet
• Humane Society of the United States: Cat Cloning is Wrong-Headed