An 81-year-old man in Montana was sentenced to six months in federal prison for illegally cloning and creating a giant hybrid sheep. protector.

Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, along with five others, was arrested for conspiring to use tissue and testicles from Marco Polo sheep. brought illegally He went to the USA to breed a larger hybrid sheep.

Hybrid sheep were designed for trophy hunting in captivity in Texas and Minnesota. Marco Polo sheep are the largest sheep in the world, weighing up to 300 kilos, and the cloning process has created an even larger hybrid animal.

US district court judge Brian Morris said he had difficulty finding an appropriate sentence for Schubarth. Morris considered Schubarth’s age and lack of a criminal record, combined with the need to impose a sentence that would prevent others from trying to “alter the genetic makeup of creatures” on Earth.

Hybrid animals can often experience rapid growth and numerous health problems, including heart problems. National Geographic. Another consequence of creating hybrid animals is the risk this poses to a species. endangered species.

Marco Polo sheep are already under threat extinction. Crossbreeding them could further endanger the animal. genetic swamp – an event in which the normal genetic structure is replaced by a hybrid.

Schubarth, who pleaded guilty in March, was fined $20,000 and Morris ordered him to pay $4,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The hybrid sheep were seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and will be held until they can be transferred to a zoo.

Schubarth’s lawyer, Jason Holden, said committing this crime cloning This act destroyed his client’s “life, reputation and family.” Holden only wanted a sentence of probation because Schubarth was a hard-working man who had cared for animals in the past.

U.S. Department of Justice attorney Sarah Brown asked for a prison sentence. Schubarth’s illegal growing operation was widespread, required forethought and involved many illegal acts, Brown said.

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Brown also noted that Schubarth’s crime endangered the welfare of other wildlife.

“This case exemplifies the serious threat that wildlife trafficking poses to our native species and ecosystems,” said Edward Grace, deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. US Department of Justice. “Mr. Schubarth’s actions not only violated numerous laws aimed at protecting wildlife, but also risked the introduction of diseases and compromising the genetic integrity of our wild sheep populations.”

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