PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Pantnagar
Russia has requested technical assistance from the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar in cloning the rare white tiger species in laboratories. Informing this, the vice- chancellor, Manmohan Singh Chauhan said that intensive discussions are underway with Russia’s St. Petersburg University of Veterinary Science. “In February, a team of scientists and students from there visited GBPUAT. During that visit, serious discussions were held on white tiger cloning and an agreement was reached on technical cooperation, too. Our university has taken this not just as a scientific challenge but an international achievement. We have agreed to cooperate,” he added.
Notably, GBPUAT has already produced India’s first cloned Gir cow. Born on March 16, 2023, the calf was named Ganga. Furthermore, a cloning project is currently underway to save the Badri cow. These successes have elevated Pant University’s expertise on the international stage and prompted Russian scientists to seek its cooperation, experts said, adding that the cloning technique being used in producing white tiger clones is a most remarkable combination of science and nature and yet extremely complex and sensitive.
The history of white tigers in India dates back to 1951 when Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa (Madhya Pradesh) captured the first white tiger near Govindgarh and named it “Mohan.” Since then, Rewa has been known as the “City of White Lions.”
Experts further said that this project would not only be a scientific achievement but would provide a new dimension to tourism, commerce, and biodiversity conservation. The global value of a white tiger is estimated at Rs 4 to 5 crore and Russia is pursuing this cloning mission with the economic and tourism potential in mind, they observed.
