News over the possible cloning of a “majestic” bull named Alcalde has some in the animal rights community upset. Apparently, Alcalde is ending his days after siring some 400 offspring and his owner is considering paying $45,000 to a Texas based company to have him cloned.

This
article writes, “Animal rights advocates and scientists say that cloning is still in its infancy, with a low rate of success that results in an unacceptable number of deformed animals. The process involves taking genetic material from an animal, inserting it into an egg whose nucleus, or genetic material, has been removed, then taking the resulting embryo and implanting it into a host female, which carries it until birth. Scientists say there is little evidence that an animal’s fighting spirit can be replicated this way, arguing that such things as behavior are typically dictated by experiences and surroundings.”

Since Dolly the sheep, we’ve known that cloning is problematic, to say the least! It is inefficient. It creates “damaged” abnormal offspring. It’s expensive. And some would say, morally wrong, especially in human beings. Perhaps we can get the animal rights enthusiasts to get on board with an anti-human cloning agenda?

Author Profile

Jennifer Lahl, CBC Founder
Jennifer Lahl, CBC Founder
Jennifer Lahl, MA, BSN, RN, is founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network. Lahl couples her 25 years of experience as a pediatric critical care nurse, a hospital administrator, and a senior-level nursing manager with a deep passion to speak for those who have no voice. Lahl’s writings have appeared in various publications including Cambridge University Press, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, and the American Journal of Bioethics. As a field expert, she is routinely interviewed on radio and television including ABC, CBS, PBS, and NPR. She is also called upon to speak alongside lawmakers and members of the scientific community, even being invited to speak to members of the European Parliament in Brussels to address issues of egg trafficking; she has three times addressed the United Nations during the Commission on the Status of Women on egg and womb trafficking.