The Cape Town collection contains mostly samples from wild animals, while the San Diego Frozen Zoo database is mostly taken from captive animals. Harley gets samples of species in the wild through collaboration with park rangers. If they're handling an animal, they take an ear specimen for Harley. Over the past 16 years, Harley has collected more than 50 species of Southern African mammals, many of them rare or endangered. They've also been used to clone goats, cattle, mice, and frogs.
Scientists have yet to succeed in cloning primates.
DNA frozen zoos can help scientist gain insight not only into conservation methods, but also into the evolution of life on our planet, and the dynamics of genetic change. DNA zoos are popping up all around the world, including the Kunming Institute of Zoology in Shanghai, which is run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It focuses mainly on local species. The various groups are working on coordinating their efforts in a formal, centralized database. Harley says the understanding of various animal species is essential for understanding where humans fit in the puzzle of life.