The Pyrenean bucardo, the only animal in history that has become extinct twice

This subspecies of mountain goat, which only lived in the Pyrenees, was doomed to extinction because it was so highly valued by the most bloodthirsty, greedy and ruthless predator on the planet: the human being.

The bucardo of the Pyrenees (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) was a subspecies of mountain goat that lived for centuries in the mountains that separate Spain from France. The last copy, CeliaHe died in the year 2000. But that was not the end of him. The bucardo it is the only animal in history that has gone extinct twice. It is also, the only extinct animal in history that was cloned.

There are references to bucardo since the Middle Ages. An animal much appreciated for its meat, its skin and its horns to decorate walls. They even came to hunt him from England. According to the web tribute Bucardo.esalready in the eighteenth century it was considered extinct.

In 1880 there was only a small population left in the Ordesa valley, all parents and children of each other, so the problems began consanguinitywhich gradually weakened the species.

In 1913 hunting was prohibited. But it was too late to prevent her. extinction. Although the Franco government was asked to bring mountain goats from elsewhere to “renew the blood”, nothing was done. In 1989 there were only 6 bucardos left. In 2000 he died last bucardothe female Celia. You can see it here, as it is exhibited in the Ordesa National Park Visitor Center:

The history of bucardo it would have ended here, one more of the innumerable endings of species annihilated by the greed of the human being, who prefers to see some dead horns hanging on the wall, than living specimens trotting through the mountains.

But something unusual happened. Alberto Fernández-Arias, a veterinarian expert in mountain goats, 10 months before Celia’s death took cell samples from his ear and flankand cryogenized them.

A team of experts led by José Folch extracted the nuclei of the cells and injected them into goat eggs that had been emptied of their genetic material. A total of 57 embryos were then implanted into hybrids of Hispanic goats and domestic goats. Only seven made it through, and only one of these clones was born.

On July 30, 2003, for the first time in history, an extinct animal had come back to life, in the purest Jurassic Park style. Unfortunately, only lived for 7 minutes. Here you can see it:

Thats why he bucardo has become the only animal in history that has gone extinct twice.

If this had happened in the United States, it would have become a global event, with the birth of the bucardo rescued from extinction. But here we do not know how to sell ourselves, and that is why this incredible milestone was not made public until 2009, six years later, and it was not given much importance.

No further attempts have been made, because it has been estimated that Celia’s DNA contains diseases due to a century of consanguinityand the possible offspring would have little chance of surviving.

An irreversible end for one of the most majestic animals of the Pyrenees, the bucardowho will never again trot through the Pyrenean mountains. At least it will go down in history as the only animal that has become extinct twice. A title that no other species would like to show off…