Triple clones wow fans from Budapest to Oman

The University of Idaho’s three cloned mule brothers are generating more attention nationally and globally than anything else in UI history.

Newspapers, magazines, and television covered the story in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Newspapers in at least 46 states ran the story of Idaho Gem, the first clone. You can link to much of it from the cloning website.

Since the first birth in May, two web sites—for adults, uidaho.edu/ cloning; and for children, uidaho.edu/clonezone/—are drawing thousands of hits from throughout the United States and the world.

The triplets seem to love attention —leaping, kicking, and sprinting on cue. More than 25,000 fairgoers in Blackfoot, Boise, Moscow, Sacramento, and Sandpoint, and at the Lewiston Roundup and Utah State’s Homecoming at Logan, sized up one of the clones this summer and fall.

“The response is overwhelmingly positive,” said Gordon Woods, UI professor of animal and veterinary science and the lead scientist of the UI–Utah State University cooperative effort.

During UI’s October 2003 Ag Days, the youngest colt of the identical- triplet clones took center stage when his name was chosen in a contest for school children.

The scientific team—Woods, Dirk Vanderwall, UI assistant professor of animal and veterinary science, and Ken White, Utah State University professor of animal science— affirmed the name, Idaho Star.

More than 500 children and Project Idaho fans of all ages submitted nearly 300 names. Six of the eight Idaho children, ages 6 to 15, who submitted the name Star attended the celebration: Tarah Anderson, Ciara Basaldua and Jennifer Sanchez of Notus Elementary; Grace Lockhart of Sandpoint’s Washington Elementary; Courtney Pollitt of Idaho Falls’ Longfellow Elementary; and Brooklyn Wilson of Post Falls’ Ponderosa Elementary. Mindi Bruce and Melissa Pickett of Midvale High could not attend.

A future in racing?
The future for the mule clones will include regular health checkups and observation. “From everything we can see,” Vanderwall said, “they are normal, healthy foals.”

Idaho Gem, born May 4, 2003, at 107 pounds, was largest at birth. Utah Pioneer, born June 9, at 78 pounds, was lightest, with Idaho Star, born July 27, at a moderate 87 pounds.

Scientists cloned the three from mule fetal cells, so there is no adult animal with which to compare them. Two of their older brothers, champion racing mules Taz and Chinook Pass, claim the same parents, the quarter horse mare Mesmerizer and Spanish jack donkey Coalee McGee.

Will the clones race like their older brothers? Idaho businessman and Project Idaho’s principal sponsor, Don Jacklin, who owns Mesmerizer and older racing mules, hopes to train at least one of the clones for the racetrack as they mature. Mules usually start training around age two.

--Bill Loftus

© 2003 University of Idaho, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.