Why is Przewalski's horse in headlines?

Say what?
I know, I know. It is a mouthful, but stay with me.

Alright, who or what is that?
It is considered to be the only true wild horse species in the world today, is critically endangered and was recently cloned for the first time.

I hate to repeat myself, but say what?
It is true! The veterinary facility at the San Diego Zoo Global cloned it from the DNA of a male Przewalski's horse it had cryopreserved since 1980.

I have so many more questions! Like, is cloning a done thing now?
Haha, I know what you mean. But it is not unheard of. The facility partnered with a company that clones horses and pets, ViaGen Equine, and with Revive & Restore, a wildlife conservation group that uses biotechnology in conservation, for this cloning.

It sounds pretty exciting.
I know. Revive & Restore is looking to revive at least six endangered or extinct species, including the woolly mammoth. In Malaysia, a university is planning to revive the extinct Sumatran rhino.

Amazing. And what about our horse?
Ah yes, got a bit sidetracked there. Przewalski’s horse was once extinct in the wild. Intensive breeding programmes helped revive the species and they were reintroduced into China and Mongolia.

Got it. But why did they decide to clone one more?
Well, almost all of them today can be traced back to 12 Przewalski’s horses. The cloning is meant to introduce genetic diversity, which will help with species survival.

Makes sense. Does the little fellow have a name?
Of course! Kurt, after Kurt Benirschke, the creator of the world’s first frozen zoo for cryopreservation of genetic material from endangered species.