In a bizarre livestock crime involving cloned animals, a Montana man was sentenced to six months in prison for selling a clone of the near-threatened Marco Polo argali sheep. The case, only the second of its kind in the United States, raised concerns about the effects of cloning technology on wildlife trade.

Court documents reveal that a man named Arthur Schubarth illegally brought parts of the Marco Polo argali sheep from Kyrgyzstan to the United States. In 2015, he reportedly rented a laboratory to create a cloned version of the sheep, calling it the Montana Mountain King (MMK).

Using MMK’s genetic material, Schubarth allegedly bred large numbers of ewes with partial argali genetics and sold the offspring to big game hunting enthusiasts. The legal ramifications of these activities revealed the extent of the operation; Potentially dozens of hybrid sheep are now scattered across the United States.

The extent of Schubarth’s cloning efforts is astounding. According to a court document, at least 26 sheep were brought to his farm for insemination in 2018, and 48 sheep were brought a year later.

Additional records show that a further 43 sheep were transported for breeding purposes in 2020. Some of the puppies sold for thousands of dollars; Among them is a sheep named Montana Black Magic, worth $10,000. The legal filings also allege that a crossbreed sheep was sold to a buyer in South Dakota, but the whereabouts of most of those crossbreeds are unknown.

While MMK himself has been secured at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, where he will be on display starting in mid-November, the fate of his progeny is uncertain.

The four men involved in the case signed plea agreements requiring them to quarantine the hybrid sheep and waive ownership rights, allowing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to sterilize the animals and require autopsies upon their deaths.

The case triggered debates about wildlife law and the ethics of animal cloning. Chris Tenoglia, a lawyer for one of the defendants, explained that his client euthanized nine mixed breed sheep to prevent accidental breeding. Another defendant, Riley Niewenhuis, was sentenced to probation and a fine, but the government reportedly adhered to its demands to manage hybrid sheep responsibly.

Wildlife crimes expert Monique Sosnowski noted that such cases raise unique questions about cloning, including whether hybrids should be classified as endangered or invasive species. As cloning technology advances and becomes more accessible, concerns about potential ecological impacts are increasing.

Industry representatives such as Blake Russell of ViaGen Pets emphasize the importance of regulatory compliance and caution in the cloning industry. As cloning gains popularity, experts predict wildlife laws will need to evolve rapidly to address emerging challenges.