He called it Montana Mountain King: Rancher Creates Banned Giant Hybrid Sheep

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

Arthur Schubarth (80) is a cattle farmer in the US state of Montana: on his 215-hectare ‘alternative cattle farm’ he breeds hybrids of mountain sheep and mountain goats, which are used for trophy hunting because of their large horns.

But Schubarth didn’t have enough. His simple math: bigger animals, more profit. So he and his accomplices in Kyrgyzstan obtained tissue parts from a Marco Polo Argali sheep – the largest species of sheep in the world.

He sent these samples to a laboratory, which eventually produced 165 cloned embryos. Schubarth then implanted the embryos into ewes on his farm, resulting in a single, purely genetic male Marco Polo Argali. The breeder named it “Montana Mountain King” or MMK.

Breeder forged documents

Using the seeds of Montana Mountain King, Schubarth created new hybrid animals that would be used by wealthy hunters for sport hunting on large ranches. He wanted to sell one animal to two people in Texas for $10,000. Schubarth also forged the documents for the animals, such as veterinary documents. He also sold the semen of his hybrid sheep MMK to other breeders in the US.

However, this is strictly prohibited: the sheep are endangered and protected by both international treaties and US law. The state of Montana prohibits the import of foreign sheep or parts thereof to protect domestic U.S. sheep from disease.

The authorities discovered him and stopped the illegal trade. The sheep created are quarantined or, under certain circumstances, castrated. Schubarth now risks a hefty fine and even a prison sentence. The verdict will be announced in July. (neo)

Source: Blick