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A new Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Animal Species (LACONES) will be opened in July this year at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) ,Hyderabad. The Laboratory will help in the preservation of any endangered species including the tiger. Announcing this at a Press Conference here today, the Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, Shri Kapil Sibal said that preserving the tiger is actually persevering the human species. He said that two different methods will be adopted for preserving the genetic diversity of the tiger population in the country.
The first Plan of action involves collection of the tigers’ scat samples for DNA finger printing which will give an accurate picture of the number of tigers in a forest area . If it is found that there is lack of genetic diversity , a second method involving stunning the tiger and collection of sperms through electro ejaculation will be adopted. The sperms having maximum virility will be frozen and will be used for genetic diversity through artificial insemination. In this process we don’t need cloning , Shri Sibal said. By July this year, the process of collecting the scat samples will be started by training the Forest Department Workers. The Project will be run jointly by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Biotechnology. By the end of the year we shall have the complete picture of the tigers, Shri Sibal said.
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