Giant pandas are now so rare that even in their homeland of China few exist outside of zoos.
In an effort to increase panda reproduction, China has been experimenting with artificial insemination over the past two decades. However, as very few of the cubs born through this method have lived long enough to breed, the BIZ team sees cloning as a more productive alternative. Pandas are considered too rare to use in laboratory experiments, so the scientists plan to inject the panda clones into the womb of another animal, probably a dog. That is what makes it a better choice than a bear or a cow or some of the other animals that have been suggested. They say concern has focused more on whether this is the most effective way of boosting the panda population.