Now that the world’s first cloned Pashmina goat is no more, scientists in Kashmir should explore animal cloning more seriously than ever

Noori, the world’s first cloned Pashmina goat, died in Kashmir in March 2023. Noori was cloned in March 2012 by a team of scientists at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology’s (SKUAST) Kashmir, using advanced cloning technology.

Cloning Noori was a big deal because Pashmina goats are hard to breed and hard to find. The Pashmina goat is indigenous to the region, and its fine, soft wool is used to make Pashmina shawls, scarves, and other high-end items.

The cloning process involved taking DNA from a Pashmina goat and implanting it into the egg of another goat. The fertilized egg was then implanted into the uterus of a third goat, which carried the cloned embryo to term. This means that Noori had three mothers and no father, technically. Noori was the first successful clone of female Pashmina goats, and her birth was a significant milestone in the field of biotechnology. Noori died at the age of 11 years at SKUAST Kashmir, which is a good age for any wild goat to live. Let’s try to understand what cloning is, why cloning Noori was important, and what can be done next.

Understanding The Concept Of Cloning

Cloning is a method for producing an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another living being. Goats, like other mammals, can be cloned through a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the process of transferring the nucleus of a non-reproductive cell from the cloned animal into an egg cell. The resulting embryo is transported to the uterus of a surrogate mother, where it is implanted and carried up to birth.

In the year 2000, a group of American scientists announced that they had successfully cloned a goat. Since then, cloning has been employed in goats for several applications, such as the duplication of valuable breeding animals and the creation of transgenic goats that can generate therapeutic proteins in their milk.

The preservation of desirable genetic features, the quick multiplication of superior breeding animals, and the creation of valuable products like milk, meat, and pharmaceuticals are just a few of the potential benefits of cloning in animal breeding and biotechnology.

The ability to keep key genetic features intact is a major benefit of cloning. Cloning can be used to make several copies of an animal with desirable properties, such as a goat with a high milk yield or resistance to disease, ensuring that these characteristics would be passed on to future generations. This is especially helpful in breeds that are in danger of extinction or that are extremely rare.

Similarly, the ability to quickly replicate elite breeding stock is another benefit of cloning. The overall quality of the herd or flock can be improved through the use of cloned animals since breeders can quickly and efficiently generate huge numbers of animals with desirable qualities. This can be especially helpful in the agricultural sector, where it can aid in the raising of livestock for food.

Moreover, cloning has been utilized in biotechnology to create valuable items like medications and their more obvious practical applications. Milk from cloned transgenic goats, for instance, includes therapeutic proteins that can be utilized to treat a wide range of diseases.

However, cloning raises serious moral and practical concerns. The safety of surrogate mothers is a primary concern for researchers. To complete a cloned pregnancy via SCNT, an egg is fertilized in vitro and then put into the uterus of a surrogate mother. Both the surrogate mother and the child may be at risk from this treatment’s invasive and potentially dangerous nature.

Pashmina Goats 

Pashmina goats, also known as Changthangi goats, are a breed of goat that is native to the Himalayan region of India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Their extremely fine and warm wool is used to make the Pashmina shawls and scarves that are valued internationally.

Pashmina Goats’ breed ranges in size from 35 to 65 kilograms (75 to 143 pounds). They are short-legged, stocky, and have round faces and little ears. Their wool is highly sought after because of its fineness (a diameter of 12-16 microns).

Nomadic herders, who follow seasonal pastures, are the ones farming the majority of these goats. Their wool is well suited to keeping people warm because they are kept in hard and frigid settings where temperatures drop well below freezing.

Shearing Pashmina goats is a laborious and time-consuming procedure. It is necessary to shear goats once a year, in the spring, when they have shed their winter coats. Carefully detaching the fine undercoat from the coarse outer hairs, the herders comb the wool from the goats by hand.

In this regard, the successful cloning of Noori was celebrated as a major step toward saving other endangered species. Thus, new possibilities for saving rare and endangered species were made possible by the successful cloning of the Pashmina goat.

Pashmina Goats And Shawl Industry 

Kashmir is home to a thriving industry that has been producing luxurious Pashmina shawls for decades. The Pashmina goat, whose wool is used to make these shawls, is endemic to the Himalayan region. One of the most expensive and coveted fashion accessories is a Pashmina shawl from Kashmir because of its reputation for softness, warmth, and elegance.

The Pashmina shawl industry in Kashmir has been struggling in recent years, but there is still a lot of room for expansion. For many decades, the sector has been a major source of income and employment for thousands of locals.

The exceptional quality and distinctive texture of Pashmina wool are major contributors to the shawls’ high price. These shawls are made from the Pashmina goat, whose fibers are finer and softer. Pashmina shawls are made from extremely long-lasting wool and, with careful care, can be passed down through the generations.

A number of factors, including the rise of synthetic textiles, shifts in consumer taste, and regional political turmoil, have combined to make recent years difficult for the sector. Despite these difficulties, the Pashmina shawl business in Kashmir has tremendous untapped potential.

There is a significant market for Kashmiri Pashmina shawls outside of India. A hand-woven shawl can cost anything from Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 and up to millions of rupees. As per the official data, the value of Kashmiri shawl exports in the year 2020–21 was Rs 172.53 crore, which is huge.

World’s First Cloned Pashmina Goat has left behind a legacy of animal cloning advancements for scientists in Kashmir to explore and build upon for many years to come

When compared to the rest of the world, the idea of cloning is relatively novel in the Kashmir valley. The SKUAST researchers had pursued cloning to protect this threatened breed. Is that it, though? The question is, what should the researchers in Kashmir do next? Did duplicating the Pashmina goat help the survival of this “Near Threatened” goat? 

Well! There may not have been many monetary benefits to society at large. However, this ground-breaking study demonstrated that Kashmir and its scientists have the potential to produce cutting-edge research. The scientists in Kashmir shouldn’t stop there; they should also work on cloning more Pashmina goats so that local farmers can use them. In addition to bolstering their economy, this has the potential to rejuvenate Kashmir’s dying textile industry. Here is more that can be done.

• Researchers should now focus on replicating other endangered species native to the area. Consider the case of the UT animal of J&K, the critically endangered animal. As only about 250 Hangul remain in the wild, scientists in Kashmir should contribute to their protection. With considerable effort, this can be done with the method of cloning. Even storage of the DNA from this animal may assist. In any event, the DNA or other stored materials, such as ovum or sperm, can be used to save Kashmir’s pride- the Hangul if it becomes extinct. 
• In addition, cloning some pet animals is a viable choice. For instance, we can meet all of our milk demands by cloning high-yielding cows. Scientists in Kashmir should enter the race to do this on a large scale, as they see it being done in China. 
• Researchers can also use cloning as a novel conservation method. For example, cloning Musk deer would allow scientists to expand the animal population, decreasing the chances of extinction. This way, scientists can use novel mechanisms of conservation in addition to the traditional methods being used. Similarly, there are a total of 54 threatened bird species in Jammu & Kashmir, including Ladakh, which may be conserved with the same technology. 
• The food supply is an issue all over the globe, but cloning technology has the potential to be especially helpful in Kashmir. Scientists can increase the healthiness of frequently eaten animals by cloning them. For instance, the increasing demand for high-quality protein in many parts of the world can be met by cloning animals that produce meat with a higher protein content or with more beneficial fats.
• Cloned animals produce more nutritious primary goods like meat and secondary products like milk. Researchers can aid the health of people who consume dairy products by cloning animals that produce milk with increased amounts of important nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. Those who don’t have easy access to these minerals from other food sources may benefit the most from this.
• In addition, Kashmiri researchers can use cloning to help local farmers with some of their problems. Farmers can increase their output and lessen their losses from disease outbreaks and extreme weather conditions if they clone animals that are more resistant to those things. This has the potential to improve farmers’ incomes and expand the region’s food supply.

Conclusion

The cloning of the Pashmina goat in Kashmir was certainly a global scientific breakthrough. However, this technology could be used for more than just saving species that are in danger of going extinct. Using cloning technology to make molecular products has the ability to change the way medicine is done. For example, scientists can use cloning to make a lot of human insulin, which can help people with diabetes control their disease. Cloning can also be used to make antibodies and other proteins that can be used to treat a wide range of illnesses.

But it is very important to make sure that cloning is done in a moral & ethical way. To ensure this, scientists have come up with strict processes and rules. These rules are meant to protect the health and safety of animals and people in cloning experiments and stop anyone from misusing this technology.

In the end, Kashmiri experts shouldn’t see the death of the cloned Pashmina goat as a setback but rather as a new beginning. The fact that this species was cloned in Kashmir and lived for 11 years shows that this technology has the potential to help both animals and humans alike. By improving and refining cloning methods, we can find new ways to improve the quality of life for all living things on our planet while ensuring that cloning is done in a responsible and ethical way.

References 

https://kashmirlife.net/noori-kashmirs-first-cloned-pashmina-goat-died-helped-the-dream-live-313715/

http://risingkashmir.com/worlds-first-cloned-pashmina-goat-dies-in-kashmir

http://www.uniindia.com/noori-world-first-cloned-pashmina-goat-dies-in-kashmir/north/news/2937053.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kashmir-goats-idUSB19418420080206

https://www.thekashmirmonitor.net/noorie-worlds-first-cloned-pashmina-goat-passes-away-at-11/