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Zoologist's Cheetah Sperm Bank Aims to Prevent Extinction

12/4/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Laurie Marker, an American zoologist, has spent 35 years building a cheetah sperm bank in Namibia.
With fewer than 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, she says artificial reproduction may be needed to prevent extinction.
The bank, a "frozen zoo," stores samples from around 400 cheetahs.
Marker regards the repository as a critical backup for cheetahs and cites the northern white rhino, which is functionally extinct.

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Story summary

Laurie Marker, an American zoologist, has spent 35 years building a cheetah sperm bank in Namibia.
With fewer than 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, she says artificial reproduction may be needed to prevent extinction.
The bank, a "frozen zoo," stores samples from around 400 cheetahs.
Marker regards the repository as a critical backup for cheetahs and cites the northern white rhino, which is functionally extinct.