World’s first cloned cow Kaga dies in Japan
Tokyo, Oct 10: The world’s first cloned cow, named Kaga, has died due to natural causes aged 21 years and three months at the same research centre in Japan where it was born, government sources said on Thursday.
Kaga was born in July 1998 at the Ishikawa prefectural livestock research centre as part of a joint research project with Kinki University – now known as the Kindai University – using the same technology used to clone British sheep Dolly two years earlier, reports Efe news.
Twin cows Kaga and Noto were born as a result of Japanese research on bovine cloning, with the latter having died in May 2018.
Kaga, who died of old age (the normal lifespan of cows is 20-25 years), began to have problems standing up in September and was given nutritional supplements and an anti-inflammatory drip in its legs, officials of the research centre told local news agency Kyodo.
However, the cow could no longer stand in early October and was pronounced dead on Wednesday.
In 2006, a total of 14 cloned cows had been produced at the Ishikawa centre, but the research – originally aimed at improving the production of meat and milk – was scaled back after the distribution of cloned cow meat was restricted in the country in 2009.
The cloned cattle in Ishikawa have been kept to study the life expectancy among such animals.
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Fake IAS officer among 5 held at Indo-Nepal border attempting to cross sides
Bahraich (UP) (PTI): Five persons, including a man posing as an IAS officer, were arrested by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at the India-Nepal Rupaideha border in Bahraich district while allegedly attempting to enter the neighbouring country in a vehicle that had a red-blue beacon and hooter, police said on Monday.
Circle Officer of Nanpara, Pahup Kumar Singh, told reporters that the incident occurred around 7.30 pm on Sunday when an Innova Crysta with a Uttar Pradesh registration plate and flashing beacon was stopped by SSB personnel at the border during routine checks.
During questioning, one of the occupants identified himself as Dharmendra and claimed to be an IAS officer posted at the Lucknow Secretariat.
However, the SSB, Rupaideha police and other security agencies conducted a detailed inquiry and found that none of them was an IAS officer, nor were they authorised to use a red-blue beacon, the officer said.
The vehicle was registered in Lucknow in the name of a firm, Priya Agencies, owned by the wife of the accused Dharmendra, he added.
The arrested persons were identified as Dharmendra Singh, Shubham Bajpai, Anmol Singh, Sachin Singh and Swapnal Sahay, all residents of Lucknow.
During interrogation, they admitted they were heading to casinos in Nepal to gamble.
Police recovered Rs 2.17 lakh in cash, six mobile phones, an electronic chip device and a power bank from their possession. A case has been registered against them under Section 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is underway, Singh said.
