Much time, money and effort has gone into rescuing animals from the brink of extinction. From invitro fertilization to surrogacy to captive breeding, the race is on to turn back the tide.
Endangered animals hold a singular fascination - they represent a battle where the odds are stacked against us. There is also growing evidence that a lot of the expensive last-ditch efforts are failing in the field. So desperate are scientists that the idea of cloning animals from small samples of their genetic material and creating gene banks for all known species is being discussed.