Rancher sent to jail for cloning hybrid sheep for hunting

MONTANA – An 80-year-old Montana rancher has been sentenced to six months in prison for illegally cloning sheep hybrids with the goal of selling these large, genetically modified animals to hunting facilities where hunters would pay top dollar to hunt them.

Arthur “Jack” Schubarth admitted to obtaining tissue and testicles from large sheep species, specifically the “Marco Polo” sheep hunted in Kyrgyzstan. He then sent DNA to a laboratory, where scientists developed cloned embryos of the species. From there, Schubarth would implant these embryos into female sheep on his ranch, leading to the birth of a genetically modified sheep, which he later named “Montana Mountain King.”

These sheep were notably larger and had highly prized horn structures that hunters were willing to pay large sums of money to hunt, making them ideal for captive trophy hunting. Schubarth sold these cloned sheep and their offspring to buyers across multiple states and falsified documents related to the animals. According to the DOJ, the total value of the animals involved sold for $250,000 – $550,000 (R4,3 – R9,5 million). Hybrid sheep were also sold for an undisclosed amount.

A judge has ordered that the remaining hybrid sheep with Marco Polo DNA on his ranch be sent to slaughter by the end of the year, with the meat also being donated. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said, “This was an audacious scheme to create massive hybrid sheep species to be sold and hunted as trophies.

In pursuit of this scheme, Schubarth violated international law and the Lacey Act, both of which protect the viability and health of native populations of animals.” The Lacey Act is a US law that prohibits the trade of wildlife, fish, and plants that are illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold. It aims to protect against the spread of invasive species.