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Awwwwww

Thank Science For This Adorable Cat’s Existence

by Jamie Frevele | 1:16 pm, March 18th

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After you’re done taking in the photo of this baby African Black-Footed kitten above (there will be more after the jump, I promise), here’s why he and his brother made the news today: they are the first animals to have been born from a frozen embryo via in vitro fertilization. Their birth is part of a larger undertaking to try to revive endangered species of all kinds using technology. The results so far? Adorbz. Remember when I said there would be more pics? Please, follow me!

Both kittens were born February 13, 2011 to a surrogate mother named Bijou. The sperm used to conceive them was extracted in 2003 from a 6-year old male named Ramses. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo Center for Conservation and Research – Reproductive Sciences Department then sent the frozen sperm to the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species and combined it with the eggs from a female named Zora in 2005. They were finally transferred into Bijou this past December.

Sixty-nine days later, the two kittens became the first of their species to be born as a result of in-vitro fertilization utilizing frozen/thawed sperm and a frozen/thawed embryo.

Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman says: “We are proving this science works and that we can provide hi-tech options for many different species as the situation grows more and more critical for wildlife across the globe.”

(Zooborns)

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  • http://twitter.com/Coriana_Hunt Coriana Hunt Swartz

    OH MY GOD THAT’S CUTE.

    Though I gotta say, the second thing that pops into my head (after the above) is “So, how many steps from this to Jurassic Park?”

    ~ c.

  • Anonymous

    I have nothing to say but: KITTEHS YOU SHALL BE MINE.

  • http://twitter.com/MightySquid Kate Falanga

    OMCO! (Oh My, Cute Overload)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Emma-Jones/1539134495 Emma Jones

    They have a small surrogate mama. So adorable, all of them.

  • doodley doo

    that mama cat is just as adorable as the babies :3