News
Scientists want to freeze Philippine tamaraws and deer
(Gregg Yan/ Wikimedia Commons)
Floyd Mayweather Jr. used it. It’s a regular part of Lebron James’ recovery and therapy. And now, our Philippine tamaraws and deer could be the next to try out cryogenics.
Ok, the type cryogenics our animals will use is very different from the ones world class athletes have used. For starters, we’re not freezing our animals to help them recover from their daily routines. In fact, if the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) gets its way, we’ll be freezing tamaraws and deer for a long, long time.
Dr. Lerma Ocampo of the NAST is an advocate for the preservation of local animals, particularly in light of the growing threats to food security caused by climate change.
The tamaraw and the deer are disease-resistant, making it the perfect candidate to survive an ever-warming earth. The Nueve Ecija cyrobank facility was created in 2012 specifically for this purpose: to preserve livestock and endangered species in the Philippines.
Using techniques like slow-freezing, quick-freezing, and storage in liquid nitrogen, cryogenic suspension can preserve embryos and sperm cells for many years, with the goal of keeping a genetic bank of our local species for future generations.
If the world goes turns to a Mad Max-like desert, at least we’ll still have our trusty tamaraws around.
