- Australia's first cloned sheep, Matilda, has died unexpectedly
of unknown causes, scientists said.
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- An autopsy failed to find any reason for the merino ewe's
abrupt death last Saturday, Rob Lewis, director of the South Australian
Research and Development institute, said.
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- The cremation of the carcass triggered criticism among
opponents of cloning, who said that there would be no further opportunity
to determine what killed Matilda.
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- Matilda was born in April 2000 from cloned embryos using
a similar technology to that used to produce the world's first cloned sheep,
Dolly, in Scotland in 1996.
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- Unexpected Death
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- Mr Lewis said that Matilda died on Saturday at the research
institute near the southern city of Adelaide, but her decomposing carcass
was only found the next day.
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- "The animal has been particularly sprightly and
her death was very unexpected," he said.
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- "There was nothing that was grossly obvious in the
organs and outer body. The body's been cremated because it was in a very
bad state. To be honest, it was clearly pongy, very pongy."
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- Mr Lewis said Matilda's death was a blow for the institute's
efforts to produce rare sheep with outstanding genes to boost meat and
fleece production.
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- "She was the one that provided the confidence to
our science community that we could do this technology. She was the one
that gave us standing internationally."
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- But Mr Lewis said the programme would continue.
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- Critics of cloning and gene technology said the institute
should have made greater efforts in establishing the exact cause of death.
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- "Animal's don't die and decompose in five minutes,"
said Bob Phelps of Australia's Gene Ethics Network.
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- "That's not really very plausible."
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2737295.stm
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