FORT COLLINS — A bison calf born in a lab through in-vitro fertilization and introduced to a conservation herd has died.
that the calf was found dead at the bottom of a 30-foot (9-meter) drop-off in April. Managers of the Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd can’t be certain how she died, but say itap possible she fell off or was the target of predators. The projectap lead scientist, Jennifer Barfield, said coyotes got to the calf “and didn’t leave a whole lot for” researchers to look at.
In-vitro fertilization means the egg is fertilized outside of the bison. The method offers opportunities for conservation because frozen embryos are viable for decades.
Barfield said the calf was in good health for a year and her death doesn’t detract from her success.
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