World’s first cloned buffalo gives birth to calf in Karnal

Karnal, Jan. 25: The cloned buffalo Garima II on Friday gave birth to a calf at the Karnal-based National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) on Friday. 
The calf, named Mahima, was born through ‘hand-guided cloning technique’.It weighs 32 kg and is reported to be normal and healthy. 
The newborn “Mahima” is keeping good health and started ****ling of milk within 30 minutes of birth, said A.K. Srivastava, Director, National Dairy Research Institute.
“It is a big success and a proud moment for India. It is the first calf born from a cloned buffalo in the world,” he said. 
It is a future technique and it has opened many doors for the scientists in the field of dairy research, said Srivastava.Garima II, born on August 22, 2010 attained maturity in 19 months compared to her contemporaries that normally take 28 months. It was inseminated with frozen-thawed semen of a progeny tested bull of NDRI on March 27, 2012, he said.
She was maintained under standard scientific management system during the gestation period. 
On Friday, she showed impending calving symptoms and was given medical care. She calved normally upon medical assistance. According to Srivastava, when Garima II was born, she also weighed 32 kg .
The NDRI is known across the globe and came into the limelight for production of world’s first buffalo cloned calf Garima.