Kashmir scientists clone rare cashmere goat

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Scientists in Indian-controlled Kashmir have cloned a rare Himalayan goat in hopes of boosting the number of animals famed for their coats of pashmina wool, used to make cashmere.

Lead project scientist Riaz Ahmad Shah says the March 9 birth of a cloned female kid could lead to breeding programs for cashmere-producing goats in other Himalayan regions and mass production of the silky soft wool.

Cashmere goats take their name from the Kashmir region and are found in parts of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau. In Kashmir they are concentrated in remote, barren areas of the Ladakh region, bordering China.

Shah's team at Sher-i-Kashmir University took two years to clone the kid.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Reader Comments Read all comments (1)

Add Your Thoughts

Comment Name State Select One AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.