An American breeder who tried to create a hybrid species of giant sheep by importing genetic material from Central Asia pleaded guilty Tuesday to violating wildlife protection laws.
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Over a period from at least 2013 to 2021, Arthur Schubarth, 80, owner of a ranch in Montana (northwest) dedicated to raising game for hunting reserves, illegally imported Kyrgyz DNA material taken from the Mouflon Argali, the largest mountain in the world. Sheep, for the purpose of illegal cloning and insemination, according to court documents.
From this DNA sample, he cloned embryos in a genetic laboratory, and implanted them in ewes in his herd, resulting in the birth of a male mouflon argali on May 15, 2017, which he named the “Montana Mountain King,” also known as MMK. According to the same sources.
With the help of at least five anonymous partners, Arthur Schubarth used semen from MMK to inseminate ewes with other types of sheep in order to achieve crossbreeding.
The goal was to produce larger and therefore more profitable animals for sale to game reserves, especially in southern Texas, where customers paid to shoot captive game.
“This was a brazen scheme to create hybrid species of giant sheep to sell and use as hunting trophies,” Todd Kim, the Department of Justice’s environmental and natural resources official, said in a news release.
He added that the accused “violated international laws and the Lacey Act, which maintains the safety and health of animal populations in their natural state.”
The Lacey Act prohibits trade in natural products that were illegally obtained or fraudulently misrepresented.
Arthur Schubarth pleaded guilty to two charges that each carry a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the Justice Department. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place on July 11.
The Pamir arjali mouflon, also known as Marco Polo, in honor of the Venetian explorer who met him in the 13th century, is highly prized for its meat and especially for its huge spiral horns. It can weigh up to 200 kg for an adult male.
It is internationally protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and banned in the state of Montana to preserve local sheep herds, as determined by US authorities.
