https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0712/c90000-20339380.html

A cloned yak was born via caesarean section at a yak breeding base in Damxung County in Xizang Autonomous Region. The cloned calf weighed 33.5 kg at birth, heavier than most yak newborns. It was able to walk and in good health.

The scientists used whole-genome selection and somatic cell cloning technologies to produce the cloned yak.

The project began in July 2023 as a joint initiative by a research team from Zhejiang University in east China, the Damxung County government and the Institute of Plateau Biology of Xizang Autonomous Region. According to the research team from Zhejiang University, cloning technology will play a key role in improving yak breeds and building a breeding system for high-altitude livestock in Xizang. Yaks are endemic to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, serving as both key livelihood assets for local herding communities and an integral component of the plateau’s ecosystem.