From Montana To Texas; The Dark World Of Monster Sheep Cloning

Earlier this month, news came out about a man from Montana who was cloning massive sheep for use in captive trophy hunting in Texas. It's as weird as it sounds. The story involves trophy hunting, several people in separate states, and the largest sheep in the world. Imagine Tiger King meets Island Of Dr. Moreau and I think you might begin to understand.

How Cloning Massive Sheep Led To Federal Prison

It all starts with Marco Polo sheep. These sheep are the biggest in the world. They can weigh up to 300 pounds. Their horns can be curled up to 5ft long. They're insanely huge. The plan was to use tissue from a Marco Polo sheep illegally brought into the country to make a clone. Then, the plan was to use the clone to create a hybrid species of sheep to sell to private hunting preserves, which are the places where people go for captive trophy hunting.

The man who is considered the brains behind the operation got six months in federal prison. Authorities hope that the sentence will deter anyone else from attempting to play God. The thing that scares me, though, is what could have happened if these sheep had matured and made it to Texas.

Texas Has A Long History Of Invasive Species

Texas has plenty of invasive species. We have our very monkeys that live right here in the Lone Star State. A rancher brought over 150 Japanese snow monkeys and their population, at its height, was over 400. Supposedly there are still snow monkeys living in the wild in south Texas.

There is also the population of warthogs that calls the Lone Star State home. Yes, Texas has a population of African warthogs in the southern part of the state. They have been captured on trail cams and several hunters have reported seeing them. If you're looking for exotic wildlife, south Texas is apparently the place to be.

With all of these exotic species already existing here, plus the number of mountain lion sightings we've had this year, adding monster mutant sheep to the mix seems like a recipe for disaster. Imagine all of the things out there with sharp teeth that would love to have a monster sheep for a snack. It doesn't seem like something that would have ended like a Disney movie with everyone happy at the end.

Cloning has its advantages. Doing it illegally to create monster hybrid animals is not on the list of those advantages. It will end with you spending time in federal prison.