US man, 81, sentenced to six months for creating giant hybrid sheep for hunting

[MrAnderson]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/01/sheep-cloning-montana-hunting-prison

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An 81-year-old Montana man was sentenced on Monday to six months in federal prison for illegally using tissue and testicles from large sheep hunted in central Asia and the US to create hybrid sheep for captive trophy hunting in Texas and Minnesota

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The US district court judge Brian Morris said he struggled to come up with a sentence for Arthur “Jack” Schubarth of Vaughn, Montana. He said he weighed Schubarth’s age and lack of a criminal record with a sentence that would deter anyone else from trying to “change the genetic makeup of the creatures” on the Earth.

That's an extraordinary story that I didn't think I will come across but here it is and it involves the person who was found guilty of this illegal breeding operation and a number of others, five more individuals in total, who used tissue to clone the animal and then use the clone  and its descendants to create a much larger hybrid species of sheep.

The Marco Polo sheep is the largest in the world and weighs up to 300lbs and has curled horns that are 5ft long. It can be found in other parts of the world such as in Central Asia. Just a quick look at a Wikipedia page reveals that the animal is considered 'near threatened' 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo_sheep

It's worth reading what the author of this page said about what it has been proposed for this animal

"It has also been suggested that crossing them with domestic sheep could have agricultural benefits"

Completely the opposite to what has happened in this case as the authorities couldn't see any agricultural benefit but that it mainly endangered the health of other wildlife.

Edited Wednesday at 06:26 AM by MrAnderson

[Hankenhunter]

Looks like the old fella didnt grease the right palms before he started making Sheepzilla. The US has hundreds of licensed hunting game farms with genetically altered deer, and elk. 

 

This is not normal.

 

[Alchopwn]

I didn't know such a thing could even constitute a crime.  Is this even a crime?  I'd appeal.

Edited Wednesday at 11:45 AM by Alchopwn

[Still Waters]

We already have this.