https://apnews.com/article/blackfooted-ferret-clone-endangered-genetic-f129e0e948ddc32a0d22c99767e30bec

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Two more black-footed ferrets have been cloned from the genes used for the first clone of an endangered species in the U.S., bringing to three the number of slinky predators genetically identical to one of the last such animals found in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday.

Efforts to breed the first clone, a female named Elizabeth Ann born in 2021, have failed, but the recent births of two more cloned females, named Noreen and Antonia, in combination with a captive breeding program launched in the 1980s, is boosting hopes of diversifying the endangered species. Genetic diversity can improve a species' ability to adapt and survive despite disease outbreaks and changing environmental conditions.