Cloning time?

In the Book of Genesis 1:26, Adam is given "dominionControl. over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth". According to the Old Testament, humans should be at the top of the food chain. Yet to animals such as giant hyenas, bears, lions, eagles, snakes and even giant kangaroos, until recently we were just prey.

How the tables have turned. Almost all of the species that preyed upon us are now endangered - or extinct, as in the case of the giant predatory kangaroo. Our ancestors would be surprised to discover that our main battle now is not with conquering wild animals, but with saving them.

Overwhelmingly, the news suggests that we have been unsuccessful in these efforts. Scientists have been warning that a sixth mass extinction eventSince 1500, Earth could have lost up to 13% of its two million known species. The past five major species die-off events were caused by natural environment changes. is underway, as billions of local and regional species populations have been lost in recent years.

However, a new report commissioned by Rewilding Europe looking at 50 European animal species has found signs that many previously endangered wildlife species are thriving thanks to conservation efforts. This includes grey wolves, Eurasian beavers, grey seals, European bison, white-tailed eagles and brown bears.

Despite this, some scientists are doubtful about the pace or success rate of rewilding. They are pushing for more extreme measures such as cloning to save endangered species - or even to resurrectBring back to life. extinct ones.

Many will be familiar with the story of Dolly, a 7-month-old sheep cloned from her mother in 1997. Since then, endangered species such as the black-footed ferret and African wildcat have also been cloned. The latest clone is Arctic wolf Maya, born this summer in Beijing, China.

Not everybody is a fan of cloning. It is a process some say is riddled with ethical problems.¹ And it does not address the root problems causing extinction: habitat destruction and hunting by humans. Efforts to clone extinct animals could yield more benefits, but most scientists still regard it as impossible.

Conservation is one of the most pressing questions of our time. It concerns not only ecology and biodiversity, some argue, but our health and wellbeing. Research has shown that just a two hour "dose" of nature every week could be as beneficial for us as five pieces of fruit and veg a day, or 150 minutes of weekly exercise. Now, a fierce argument is brewing about just how far we should go to achieve it.

Yes: Cloning animals is unpredictable and unethical. There are few success stories, and the risk is far higher than the gain. Halting extinction is urgent, and cloning technology is moving at a snail's pace.

No: We need to investigate every possible avenue to protect our wildlife, and this includes cloning. If we can perfect cloning methods for living species, we can find ways to resurrect extinct ones too, which would be even more beneficial.

Or... Above all, we need to prioritise protecting our planet and our wildlife as quickly as possible. If cloning technology can be developed in order to do that, we can put aside some ethical problems for the greater good. If not, we need to rely on rewilding.