Ganga-India’s first cloned gir calf

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About cloned gir calf-

• The female calf named Ganga was born on March 16 2023.
• To clone the Gir, oocytes are isolated from live animals using ultrasound-guided needles, and then matured for 24 hrs under control conditions. 
• The somatic cells of elite cows are used as donor genomes, which are fused with OPU-derived enucleated oocytes. 
• Following chemical activation and in-vitro culture, the developed blastocysts are transferred into recipient mothers to deliver the Gir calf.
• NDRI in collaboration with Uttarakhand Livestock Development Board (ULDB), Dehradun, has initiated the work on the cloning of indigenous cows such as Gir, Sahiwal, and Red Shindi.
• It is pertinent to mention here that the institute had produced the world’s first cloned buffalo in 2009. But it could survive only for five-six days.
• Later, they had produced Garima-2 on August 22, 2010, which has so far produced seven normal calves
• Scientists also produced the first male calf Shresth on Aug 26, 2010, whose semen is being used for multiplication of good germplasm.

Gir cows-

• The Gir or Gyr is one of the principal Zebu breeds originating in India. 
• The Gir cow is a famous Indian-born dairy cattle breed. Gir’s cattle native tract is Gir hills and forests of Kathiawar. 
• This includes Gujarat districts of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and Rajkot. The name of the breed comes from the forest of Gir.
• They are very hardy and well-known for their tolerance to conditions of stress and resistance to various tropical diseases.
• The average Gir Cow Milk production is 6-10 liters/day.
• Gir cattle’s average lifespan is around 12-15 years. And during their lifetime, a cow develops 10-12 calves.

• Gir is becoming popular among the dairy farmers because of its docile nature and goodness of milk, adding that outside India, Gir cattle are also very popular and have been exported to Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela for the development of zebu cows.
• Indigenous cattle breeds such as Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, and Red-Sindhi, play a pivotal role in milk production and growth of the Indian dairy industry. 

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