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What happened during the 2009 attempt to clone the extinct Pyrenean ibex?

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Replica of a woolly mammoth with long curved tusks and shaggy fur on display in a museum exhibit, set against a dramatic painted landscape backdrop. — de-extinction The woolly mammoth (*Mammuthus primigenius*)—represented here by a replica in a Canadian museum—is an example of an extinct species that someday could be resurrected through de-extinction.

In 2009, scientists attempted to achieve de-extinction for the first time by cloning the extinct Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica).

Using a technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), researchers transferred nuclei from thawed fibroblasts of cryopreserved skin specimens into the enucleated eggs of domestic goats. These reconstructed embryos were then transplanted into surrogate mothers, specifically Spanish ibex or hybrid females.

While the procedure successfully produced a clone, the animal died from a severe lung defect within minutes of birth. This near-success sparked significant scientific and ethical debate regarding the management of resurrected species and the broader implications of using such technologies to reverse extinction.1