Woman battled brain tumour while pregnant - after her dad died of the same cancer
By Emma Dunn
A woman fell pregnant with a "miracle baby" while battling a brain tumour - after her dad died of the same cancer.
Paige Gouge, 27, was diagnosed with diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) - an aggressive brain tumour - aged 25.
Her dad, Mark Gouge, had passed away at age 37 from the same cancer in June 2000.
Paige underwent a debulking surgery - as well as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and privately-funded immunotherapy treatment in Germany - throughout 2022 and 2023.
To Paige's surprise, she fell pregnant naturally last year – something doctors had said was unlikely to happen.
The HR manager and her fiancé, Taylor Allen, welcomed their healthy baby boy, Alfred, into the world on April 1, 2024.
Paige, from Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, is hoping to restart her immunotherapy treatment in Germany next month and is crowdfunding to help cover the costs.
Her brother, Ryan Gouge, 34, ran the London Marathon in her honour on raised £6,355 for the charity Brain Tumour Research.
Ryan, a graphic designer, from Harold Wood, East London, said: “Paige was back working full-time and trying to lead as normal a life as possible.
“She was so happy with the fact she was pregnant that the apprehension about what could happen without her being on treatment - although it was something she and Taylor had to really think about - took a backseat.
"Now she needs to get that back on track.
“I wouldn’t have run a marathon and pushed myself through that pain without having a good reason and the charity gave me that.
“Knowing what Paige is going through and how little research has progressed since we lost my dad makes me want to help.
"What I’ve done is a small drop in a large ocean but if everyone does their bit, then things have got to improve for people like Paige in the future."
Paige had experienced headaches and low energy - but put it down to a low iron count.
Following a seizure and an MRI scan, Paige was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2021.
In March 2022 she started her treatment but unexpectedly found out she was pregnant in summer 2023 - and had to pause her treatment.
After welcoming baby Alfred in April 2024, Paige is ready to get back to her treatment - and went along to watch her brother run the marathon last Sunday.
Ryan said: “It was so important to me that I didn’t let anyone down that I felt the weight of the world on me, but, thankfully, I got through it.
“I had 35 supporters including family and ex-colleagues, so that helped, and the other Brain Tumour Research runners were amazing. I felt pure relief at crossing the finish line.
“Taylor stayed at home because of a knee injury so he had Alfred and Paige came to watch me run. When I saw her, the scale of what we had done hit me.
“Having her there was the most important thing for me. If she hadn’t been, I’m not sure it would have had the same impact, but the fact she was and she was so supportive was great.
"She even bought me a gift bag with a massage gun in it to give me after the race.”
Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Paige’s story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time.
"They’re the biggest cancer killer of the under 40s and yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.
“We’re determined to change that, but we can’t do it alone.
"We’re really grateful to Ryan for taking on this huge challenge for us and we wish Paige the best of luck with motherhood and her continued treatment. Together we will find a cure."
To donate to Paige’s crowdfunding page visit www.gofundme.com/f/gtz5b3-paiges-2nd-chance-at-life.
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Lad who lost his foot at 18 months now models for Primark, Amazon and Schuh
By Hannah Van De Peer
A little boy who lost his foot at 18 months has become a model and now he travels the world posing for famous brands including Primark, Amazon and Schuh.
Arlo Tate, nine, was diagnosed with fibular hemimelia - a missing fibula - at birth.
An "abnormality" was picked up at his 20-week scan - but doctors were unsure what his condition was at the time.
His right foot was bent inwards so doctors suggested his parents allow them amputate his foot so he could learn to walk with a prosthetic leg.
Mum Naomi, 38, says walking with prosthesis was incredibly easy and Arlo hasn't let his disability hold him back.
Naomi says his friends weren’t aware Arlo even had a disability - as he plays football, basketball and rugby with them.
In March 2020, Arlo was scouted by a diverse modelling agency who wanted to sign him up and he has since travelled to Prague, London and Manchester - being paid £500 a shoot for brands like Primark, Amazon and Schuh.
Naomi, a property investment consultant, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, said: “Arlo has beaten the odds to become a model before he’s even turned 10.
“I thought it was a scam at first - but it’s amazing to see him modelling for all these top brands.
“He gets looked after really well - every job he goes on, it’s all very luxurious.
“We get to take him to toy shops and let him have his pick to spend his wages - and he makes £500 per shoot.
“It doesn’t faze him at all that he’s earning all this money - he just loves sightseeing and making new friends.”
Naomi was told at her 20-week scan that her son would be born with an “abnormality” - despite having a "normal" pregnancy beforehand.
But doctors weren’t exactly sure what the abnormality would be - and his missing fibula was discovered at birth.
Due to his missing fibula and abnormal tibia - which was bent sideways - Arlo’s right foot curled inwards and he only had three toes.
Naomi said: “It was significantly shorter than his left leg. It would’ve grown, just at a really slow pace.
“I went straight on Facebook to look for other mums going through the same thing, it did make me feel less alone.”
While speaking to the other mums, Naomi began to weigh up her options.
She heard she’d be able to get leg lengthening surgery for Arlo - which is usually an option for patients with a shortened fibula.
But doctors told her it wouldn’t be possible - as they’d be unable to extend or replace bones that weren’t there to begin with.
After 18 months of research, Naomi and Arlo’s care team decided amputation would be the best route.
She said: “We decided the best way would be to amputate his right foot.
“At the beginning, I was really nervous.
“But in the three months before surgery, doctors fitted Arlo with a prosthetic leg, which had a set of five little toes.
“He absolutely loved it. It gave him the flexibility of being able to walk - and he could even put a shoe on it.
“I knew amputation would be the best decision - he wouldn’t know any different and could learn to walk with the prosthetic.
“Ultimately, I had to think about it like - his foot is useless to him, and a prosthetic would give him a lifetime of mobility.
“They’re just replacing something that isn’t useful to him with something that is.”
On July 6, 2016, aged one, Arlo had his right foot amputated and continued learning to walk with his prosthetics.
Naomi says he didn’t have any difficulty at all and got stuck in with as many sports and running clubs as possible as he got older.
In March 2020, Naomi and Arlo decided to spend lockdown making prank videos on TikTok.
The account received a message from a talent scout for a modelling agency - which Naomi initially thought was a scam.
But when the main verified account sent her a message later on, she realised it was real.
“The agency contacted me on TikTok,” Naomi said.
“I thought it was a bit of a joke, but they said they wanted to sign Arlo up.
“We chatted on the phone - then I said to Arlo ‘you’ve got a contract to work - you’re going to start earning your own money.'
“He wasn’t fazed at all.”
Within four months, Arlo jetted straight to Prague, Czech Republic, to shoot his first campaign.
The shoot was for Amazon - which was due to go live in North America, South Africa and China. He was paid £500.
It lasted four days and Naomi says it was set up like a “movie studio”.
She added: “His first job was a really big one - there was movie equipment all set up.
“We had a chauffeur pick us up from the airport, and they held his name up on a card at the gate.
“We really got looked after in luxury.”
Arlo says he’s been really enjoying his new side hustle and loves the adventure and luxury that come with it.
Arlo said: “It’s really fun - I like to travel around.
“My favourite things to do are sightseeing and making new friends.”
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Delivery man sprints and leaps over gate to escape tiny dog
By Leo Black
This is the hilarious moment a delivery driver was sent sprinting in fear by a tiny pet dog.
Doorbell camera footage shows the man vaulting over the 1.15m tall gate as the ankle-size pooch chases after him.
Jonathan Carr, 77, Barney's owner, said that once the initial fright had passed the Yodle delivery man also had a good laugh.
Jonathan, a retired entrepreneur from Baschurch, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire, said: "I went up and told him I'm going to nominate him for the Olympic hurdle team.
"He smiled and laughed. Someone else in the van - it must have been his partner - was laughing his head off."
Jonathan apologised for Barney's behavior saying that his Dachshund Yorkie cross doesn't normally do this but that he was probably triggered by the delivery man running.
He quipped: "It's amazing the skills you discover with a dog at your ankles."
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Cat owner discovers pet's secret life after fitting collar camera
By Leo Black
A pet owner who was curious about his cat's secret life when outside fitted him with a collar camera.
The amazing POV footage shows the moggy leaping over garden walls, slipping through bushes and interacting with other cats.
Abullah Garasia, 19, decided to fit Snowy, six, with a camera after he became curious about Snowy's whereabout during his morning walk.
The moggy usually leaves the house for two hours every morning so Abdullah bought an Insta 360 camera from Amazon.
Abdullah, from Hackney in London, said: "He mainly leaves the house in the morning. He goes out for about two hours every day. He just disappears.
"I've seen other people doing the same and I was thinking 'where does he go?' I was so curious."
Abdullah began using the camera in March and has been putting it Snowy once a week.
After reviewing the footage, Abdullah realised that his pet cat is not particularly loved among the neightboorhoud's cat community.
Abdullah , who's on a gap year, said: "The most exciting thing to see was him interacting with other cats. They don't like him.
"He meows to them a lot for attention but they don't interact with him. They think he's socially awkward or a weirdo, I think.
"It's helped me learn about his personality. When he's at home he's all lovey but he's fierce outside.
"We all think he's lovely and cuddly but now I know he struggles with being awkward and having anxiety."
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Whale shows newborn calf off to kayakers
By Samuel Wightwick
This is the amazing moment a humpback whale presented her new-born calf to a group of kayakers.
Brittany Ziegler, 34, captured the footage while kayaking off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, USA.
The giant mammal can be seen turning slowly in the water- with her calf above her.
Brittany, a diver and content creator, said: "We had been sitting in some flat water snacking on some sandwiches for awhile at that point.
"Whales had been all around us the whole morning and I noticed the tell-tale hump about 100 feet from us and it was slowly moving closer to our kayak.
"When they were within 20ft or so, I dunked my GoPro underwater and realized we were looking at a very tiny newborn whale.
"My heart melted and I felt so honored to be in their presence. You can hear my pure joy and awe."
Brittany streams her activities diving and kayaking on her Instagram and TikTok (@divedivelive) and has had many amazing animal encounters.
But this moment ranks very highly for her amongst all others.
She said: " I kayak all winter and spend almost everyday under water, and am blessed to have so many magical encounters.
"I think this was the only time a mother whale brought her newborn over to me.
"This baby whale is only hours old In the video, and it was truly a moment of magic.
"I felt blessed because I knew how important this moment was for the mama whale, and how special this moment would always be for me."
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Decades-long neighbour boundary dispute finally settled in court
By Natasha Leake
A bitter neighbour boundary dispute has been settled in court - after raging for DECADES.
The row between two warring pensioners revolves around a quarter of an acre of disputed territory - with both parties saying it has cost them tens of thousands and affected their mental health.
Angela Coupe, 70, claims she first bought 1.5 acres of land in 1972, a five minute drive from her detached bungalow in Chesterfield, which she used for horses in 1974.
She built a wooden post along a concrete boundary which she said had been there since the 1930s.
The retired social worker and former Marie Curie nurse said she was “horrified” when she caught her neighbour Ian Revell, 66, and his late father moving the posts in her field in the mid 1990s and approached them.
She claims that she is entitled to 1.5 acres, and that the Revell family sold a quarter of an acre in 1945, leaving them with 0.77 of an acre.
However, Mr Revell has refused to budge and hit back at her claims.
He claims they are each entitled to one acre, meaning that Angela is currently encroaching by taking half an acre more than she is entitled to.
For nearly 30 years the two families have been at loggerheads, but Southern Derby Magistrates Court has now ruled in favour of Mr Revell with a judge ruling his adversary had lied about putting up a fence.
Following the verdict, Angela said she was "appalled" while Ian said it was only right as he claimed the plot had been in his family for years.
Angela has levelled the land she believes she owns and placed the good soil inside her boundary for further use for the land. She has also now claimed Mr Revell trapped the top soil in when he moved the fence.
She uses the land for her animals, including four rescue pigs.
“A quarter of an acre is a lot for rescue animals, it makes a difference to the animals. They have less land to graze in”, she said.
Meanwhile, Ian would prefer to leave the land as woodland. His late parents are buried nearby, and he claims the dispute has stopped his family from grieving.
"My mum used to go and visit my dad's grave on a regular basis. Once this dispute started, my mum never visited it," he said.
Ian and Angela were in a court dispute for around three years over the matter, which ended in January 2024 when Angela lost the case and was made to pay the Revell family £2000.
The total costs of the case are yet to be determined, but Mr Revell believes he has paid around £29,000 so far, while Angela believes the case has cost her £30,000.
Angela said she was now looking at ways to appeal, after claiming evidence she produced was not taken into account.
She added: "When I went up to them and asked them what they were doing, they said they’d measured the land and found we had some of their land.
“The surveyor measured me out 1.5 acres,” Angela said, explaining that the surveyor had put markers in what she believed were all the appropriate places.
The next morning, Angela discovered that all of the markers had been removed.
She said: "All the markers had been taken out by them and thrown on the land.
"I had to pay another £350 for the markers to be put in again and I begged my neighbours to have a surveyor even though they told me I didn't need a surveyor."
Mr Revell, 66, who lives in Glapwell, Chesterfield, claimed Angela was wrongfully trying to take a quarter of an acre away.
He added: “Her surveyor had measured an acre, when it was never an acre in the beginning.
“She accused me of moving the fence - it’s a complete and utter lie.
“It’s a piece of land that’s been in our family for years and years. It was my grandad who bought it years ago and he actually lived on the land.”
The dispute escalated to court in January 2024, and although Angela lost she still maintains her innocence.
She added: “The judge said that I had never put a fence up even though it was in my evidence, and that I had lied, and he said that I did not make contact with the neighbours. It’s appalling.
“I couldn’t eat for a week, I lost a stone for a week.
“I’m appalled by the justice system in this country. I wrote a letter to the judge and I’ve just had an email to say they can’t pass it on.
“I feel as though I have liar tattooed on my forehead,” she said, saying that she would now like to take a lie detector test to "clear" her name.
"I did not have the funds to get support at the time hence why i am in this situation now. I should have got advice from Citizens Advice Centre."
But the verdict was welcomed by Revell, who added: "The judge has said, no, you’re wrong.
“Four separate surveys have agreed that our fence was in the correct position more of less.
“It’s been a terrible three or four years because my dad’s grave is there so we’ve not been able to grieve properly.
“My mum used to go and visit the grave on a regular basis. Once this dispute started, my mum never visited it.
“I rarely go there because I feel so frustrated because she’s taken a quarter of our land.
“She was damaging our posts so I went with my brother in law to try and repair the bit that she was damaging.”
Ian said that the total cost of court bills has come to over £20,000 for him and his family.
He added: "It’s just loads and loads of hassle, especially around the time when my parents have been passing away - it’s just been bad.”
Angela is now due to remove her fences, which are in a position the judge deemed incorrect some point this month.
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"I have a condition where I'm permanently aroused - it has ruined my life"
By Hannah Van De Peer
A student has told of the reality of living with an excruciating condition which leaves her permanently aroused - and has ruined her life.
Student Scarlet Kaitlin Wallen, 21, has persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) - a condition which causes uncontrollable arousal.
Her symptoms started at the age of six - when she began to feel severe and constant “pins-and-needles” in her genitals.
In 15 years, she’s only had a handful of pain-free days - and she’s unable to work or study full-time.
But with treatments and surgeries being developed all the time Scarlet remains hopeful she’ll be able to have “a life without PGAD” one day.
She has even had some of her genital nerves removed in a bid to numb the pain.
Scarlet, a part-time courier and art student from Barrington, Rhode Island, said: “I’d been experiencing pain for as long as I remember.
“My vulva was constantly burning - it was like I was naturally aroused but I didn’t want it.
“There’s nerve pain, it's not wanted - and there's no pleasure. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to have a painless sexual relationship in my lifetime.”
Scarlet says her PGAD started when she was six years old - and it would stop her from playing out with her friends.
She described the pain as “burning bugs under my skin” - and like her genitals were on fire.
“In my brain it was like, I didn’t want to feel this,” she added. “I wanted to be playing outside.”
When puberty hit at the age of 13, she started experiencing random days without pain.
But the burning and unwanted arousal would come back with a vengeance after a couple of days - and Scarlet would deliberately use vapour rub on her genitals to distract from the unwanted arousal.
Chemicals in the rub would give her severe thrush - but she found the “rawness and burning” more tolerable than the pain from PGAD.
She said: “The PGAD on its own was unbearable - and such an odd sensation.
“I started trying to help it with vapour rub and found that at least if it wasn’t treating me, the pain I’d get from it was distracting.
“I wanted my genitals to burn from that, rather than the PGAD.”
Scarlet’s PGAD, alongside other conditions like OCD, meant she became reclusive as a teen.
She struggled to make friends due to her anxiety - and couldn’t stay around people for long periods of time in case she had a PGAD flare-up.
Just before graduating from high school, in 2020, Scarlet saw a doctor for the first time so she could attend college without worrying about her condition.
“By 18, I was quite certain my body was attacking me,” she added. “So I wrote a letter to my parents.
“I didn’t want to tell them face-to-face - but it was getting so bad I couldn’t hide it from them anymore.
“I wrote that I had this non-stop nerve pain that wasn’t even pain, it was worse.
“I told them it was something I had no control over.”
With the help of her dad, 54, an investment banker, Scarlet was referred to the San Diego Sexual Medicine Clinic in California.
Her clinician was certain Scarlet was experiencing PGAD alongside her other sexual dysfunctions, like post-SSRI sexual dysfunction - numbness in the genitals caused by antidepressants.
He also found she was suffering from another condition - congenital neuroproliferative vestibulodynia - which means the pelvic nerves are hypersensitive to touch, and Scarlet has been suffering from this since birth.
It's believe this caused the PGAD.
In a bid to find out the cause and correct treatment, he examined Scarlet for the first time.
But he found she had lots of complications - including a duplicate vagina.
It is unconnected to her PGAD.
She said: “My clinician, Dr. Irwin, told me he wanted to do a vestibulectomy - a surgery to remove painful tissue from the vagina.
“But during the examination, they found I had a duplicate.
“So first, I’d need to have the blocked tissue of the vagina removed - the thing that was causing it to divide into two parts.
“Then, I could have my vestibulectomy.”
In February 2023, Scarlet had her septate vagina wall removed - and only took a week to recover.
Her vestibulectomy took place on September 8, 2023 - but she only had parts of the painful tissue removed, giving her a greater chance of having a “normal” sex drive in the future.
She added: “I was told there was a significant possibility I wouldn’t be able to feel any sort of natural sexual arousal again if I had all of it removed - due to my post-SSRI sexual dysfunction.”
“I still want to have a sexual relationship - but my choice is currently between living with PGAD or being completely numb.
“I’m just hopeful that one day I’ll be able to live a normal life.”
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Heartbreaking video shows turtle choking on plastic
By Samuel Wightwick
This is the heartbreaking moment a turtle choked on a piece of plastic.
Video shows the turtle approaching the camera and gagging before spitting out a piece of clear plastic.
Diver Brittany Ziegler, 34, capture the moment on camera during a livestream about a plastic clear-up in Oahu, Hawaii, USA, to celebrate Earth Day.
Brittany, a content creator from Maui, Hawaii, USA said: "We were on Oahu for a weekend pledge against plastics so it was ironic that we captured that awful footage of the turtle on that day.
"Over 100 people showed up on the day and we cleared up a few thousand pounds worth of plastic out of the ocean.
"Whilst we were live streaming the clean up to thousands of people on my TikTok, this beautiful green sea turtle slowly approached us and spat this plastic out.
"I just thought you poor baby, we don't know how much plastic she could've had in her stomach either.
"She just swam right up to us, looked in the camera and spat the plastic right out. It was like she was trying to tell us something.
"They love to eat jellyfish and they just cant tell the difference."
Brittany streams her ocean dives on her Instagram and TikTok (@divedivelive) with the aim to get people invested in our oceans and their ecosystems.
She said: "I've been doing this for two years but didn't really start getting noticed until about a year ago.
"The page has been growing a lot but many people who watch don't dive themselves so the aim is to get more people in the water and to fall in love with the ocean.
"We take people out on dives in Maui to allow them to see animals underwater up close in the hope that they will built a connection and want to help."
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Urban explorer snuck into abandoned nuclear control room in Fukushima red zone
By Ben Barry
An urban explorer snuck into the abandoned nuclear control room in the Fukushima red zone - and found it frozen in time.
Lukka Ventures, 27, has been exploring abandoned buildings in the UK for four years.
After watching a documentary on the Fukushima nuclear disaster he headed out to explore the 'red zones' - sites that have been closed off - around the nuclear power plant.
He snooped round abandoned hospitals, malls and apartments which he said were untouched by time.
On March 11, 2011, a earthquake and tsunami initiated a nuclear incident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Three of the six nuclear reactors at the plant had severe damage and released hydrogen and radioactive materials and residents within 30 km of the site were ordered to leave.
Lukka, from Manchester, said: "It was a very surreal experience.
"Everything had been left, there were calendars on the wall were fixed on the same date of the disaster.
"You will walk into a building and there is stuff all over the floor.
"Animals have got in and tried to get food, you can see that the earthquake shook everything onto the floor."
Lukka, spent four days in the Fukushima red zones in Ōkuma, Japan, in February 2024, sharing his findings on his Youtube channel - @lukkaVentures
He carried a Geiger counter - an electronic instrument used for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation - to make sure he wasn't exposing himself.
He said: "We were sneaking through rivers and fences. We had to be really careful of how radiated some of the areas were.
"It was so so surreal. You would go into shopping centres and they would have food on the shelf.
"Everything has been left. Every building we went into was really weird."
Lukka found a nuclear bunker in what he believes was a training centre.
He said: "We entered a big glass building which had a model of the reactor in the lobby.
"We were close to the power plant that exploded.
"We walked around the building and there were rooms that had nuclear controllers in there."
Lukka said he found walking around the hospital a "scary experience".
He said: "I have never explored an area and be scared but the hospital was really scary.
"Seeing all the stuff, like bags, coats and other belongings gets you upset.
"I am not the type of guy to get upset but I did feel very sad walking around.
"The whole experience will stay with me forever."
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Scientist clone two black-footed ferrets to save endangered species
By Dean Murray
Scientist have cloned two black-footed ferrets to help conserve the endangered critters.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (UFSWS) and its genetic research partners have announced the birth of the ferrets – known as Noreen and Antonia – along with updates on their latest efforts to breed previously cloned black-footed ferret, Elizabeth Ann.
The black-footed ferret is one of North America’s most endangered mammals. Thought to be extinct, captive breeding, habitat protection, reintroductions and cloning have helped restore them to over 300 animals in the wild.
Noreen was born at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado, while Antonia resides at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia.
UFSWS say: "Both were cloned from the same genetic material as Elizabeth Ann. They are healthy and continue to reach expected developmental and behavioral milestones."
The Service and its research partners plan to proceed with breeding efforts for Noreen and Antonia once they reach reproductive maturity later this year.
This scientific advancement to clone the first U.S. endangered species is the result of an innovative partnership among the Service and critical species recovery partners and scientists at Revive & Restore, ViaGen Pets & Equine, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
UFSWS say: "The application of this technology to endangered species addresses specific genetic diversity and disease concerns associated with black-footed ferrets. The Service views this new potential tool as one of many strategies to aid species recovery alongside efforts to address habitat challenges and other barriers to recovery."
UFSWS say Elizabeth Ann remains healthy at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in northern Colorado, exhibiting "typical adult ferret behaviour".
Planned efforts to breed Elizabeth Ann were unsuccessful due to a condition called hydrometra, where the uterine horn fills with fluid.
Her other uterine horn was not fully developed, which UFSWS say is not unusual in other black-footed ferrets and therefore not believed to be linked to cloning.
"Elizabeth Ann otherwise remains in excellent health, symbolizing the early progress in biotechnology for species conservation," adds UFSWS.
Elizabeth Ann, Noreen and Antonia were cloned from tissue samples collected in 1988 from a black-footed ferret known as Willa and stored at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Frozen Zoo.
All black-footed ferrets alive today, except the three clones, are descendants of the last seven wild individuals. This limited genetic diversity leads to unique challenges for their recovery. Besides genetic bottleneck issues, diseases like sylvatic plague and canine distemper further complicate recovery efforts.
Cloning and related genetic research could offer potential solutions, aiding concurrent work on habitat conservation and reintroducing black-footed ferrets into the wild.
Continuing genetic research for black-footed ferrets includes efforts to breed offspring from Noreen and Antonia, which would significantly increase the species’ genetic diversity.
The UFSWS say collaborative work among partners also aims to achieve other long-term goals, such as developing resistance to sylvatic plague and potentially other diseases.
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