Stem Cell Zoo Offers Hope For Endangered Species

Conservation is a big segment of the green movement, and according to the ASPCA, wildlife experts believe that approximately 100 species are wiped from the face of the Earth each day.

Way back in the 70′s before Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber were even born, forward-thinking scientists began freezing skin cells from animals facing extinction in the hopes that someday, science would have a way to restore or revive the imperiled creatures. The researchers created a “frozen zoo,” a stem cell archive that could eventually bring forward their goal of augmenting the endangered populations.

Now the scientists are working on a “stem cell zoo,” beginning with two species- the silver-maned drill monkey, considered a “Vulnerable” species, and the northern white rhinoceros, which is feared extinct in the wild. (There are currently seven northern white rhinoceros in captivity.) The latter species suffers a lack of genetic diversity because their numbers have dwindled so alarmingly low, another factor which strongly threatens their chances of not dying out.

Two of the rhinos in captivity are at the San Diego Zoo, where study researcher Oliver Ryder works. Ryder reiterates that prevention is the best hope of preventing extinction, but acknowledges that it’s not always possible. He laments:

“The best way to manage extinctions is to preserve species and their habitats… But that’s not working all the time.”

Ryder, however, commented hopefully:

“Stem cell technology provides some level of hope that they won’t have to become extinct even though they’ve been completely eliminated from their habitats.”

The study was published earlier this week in the journal Nature Habitats.