October 2, 2024, 10:12 am | Read time: 6 minutes
There are things that sound so strange that you want to banish them straight to the realm of fantasy. But the bizarre story of a man who created a hybrid, monstrously large Frankenstein clone sheep in the US state of Montana is true. Now, the verdict has been reached in one of the most bizarre animal rights cases of recent years. PETBOOK sheds light on the background.
It’s a story that at first you wouldn’t believe, or would place in a very bad retelling of Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein’s Monster”. A man in Montana crossbred sheep over a period of ten years, creating clone animals of a species that is rare and endangered in the wild—all with the aim of creating the largest sheep in the world. However, there is no scientist with delusions of grandeur behind it, like the protagonist in Mary Shelley’s famous work. The 81-year-old farmer, who has already pleaded guilty, had a completely different reason for the whole thing. Now, the verdict has been handed down in a trial so bizarre that even the judge struggled, as the Associated Press news agency reported.
81-year-old farmer sentenced to prison for creating ‘monster sheep’
According to the news agency, Brian Morris, a judge of the US District Court, found it challenging to reach a verdict. This is because the sentence for Arthur “Jack” Schubarth from Vaughn, Montana, could set a precedent. The decision took into account the farmer’s advanced age and his previously clean criminal record. However, Morris weighed these facts against a penalty that would deter anyone else from attempting to “alter the genetic composition of living things” on Earth.
In the end, Morris ruled that the 81-year-old farmer must serve six months in prison for his actions. He was also sentenced to pay a fine of 20,000 dollars. The judge also ordered him to pay 4,000 dollars to the US Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Schubarth is allowed to report himself to a Bureau of Prison medical facility. As a result, he is unlikely to be placed in a minimum-security facility. According to the AP, he appeared remorseful in court and reiterated shortly before the verdict was announced: “I will have to work the rest of my life to make up for everything I have done.”
US Department of Justice presents the case of the cloned sheep in Montana
The case of Schubarth and the sheep breed he developed, known as the “Montana Mountain King,” garnered global attention in March 2024. According to a press release from the US Department of Justice’s Office of Public Affairs, the farmer in Montana had been trying to create the ultimate “Frankenstein sheep” for over ten years. The accused had worked on trading in parts of Marco Polo sheep from Kyrgyzstan.
Consequently, the trial addressed multiple criminal charges. On the one hand, the unauthorized cloning of sheep and the illegal insemination of ewes to produce hybrids. On the other hand, Schubarth was charged with the illegal trade in parts of Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep and the import of Kyrgyz sheep.
The farmer from Vaughn in Montana actually devoted himself to breeding and selling “alternative livestock” on his ranch. However, it seems that mountain sheep, goats, and various other hoofed animals no longer sufficed for him. The main market for Schubarth’s livestock was captive hunting – a questionable trend in which captive animals are shot for pleasure on one’s own farm.
According to the court documents, Schubarth conspired with at least five other people between 2013 and 2021 to create a larger hybrid sheep species for this purpose. The goal was to command higher prices from hunting facilities and enthusiasts. However, the co-conspirators did not appear at the trial.
Endangered species poached and sent to the lab
According to the US Department of Justice, Schubarth and others brought parts of the world’s largest sheep from Kyrgyzstan to the United States for this purpose. An average male Marco Polo sheep weighs more than 300 pounds (about 136 kilograms) and has horns that are one and a half meters long.
Sheep of the Marco Polo-Argali species are native to the high altitudes of the Pamir region in Central Asia. They are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. They are also banned in the state of Montana to protect native sheep from disease and hybridization.
“Brazen plan to create massive hybrid sheep species”
However, Schubarth was probably targeting not only the Marco Polo sheep but also the bighorn sheep from Montana. The court documents also describe how the farmer illegally acquired genetic material from wild-hunted Rocky Mountain sheep.
“This was a brazen scheme to create massive hybrid sheep species to be sold and hunted as trophies,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) in the March press release.
In pursuing this plan, Schubarth violated international law and the Lacey Act, which protects the continued existence and health of native animal populations. Among other things, the Lacey Act prohibits the illegal trade of wild animals in the USA, not only for their own benefit but also to protect native animals from invasive species.
Clone “Montana Mountain King” should become the most valuable sheep in the world
As Schubarth himself is not a scientist, he sent genetic material from the Argali parts to a laboratory. This then produced cloned embryos. These were then implanted into ewes on his ranch. The result was a single, genetically pure male Marco Polo Argali, which he named “Montana Mountain King” or MMK. Notably, he intended to name the offspring of this sheep, the new hybrid superbreed, “Montana Black Magic.”
The court documents also explain how Schubarth worked with the other unnamed co-conspirators. They wanted to use the sperm from “MMK” to artificially inseminate various other sheep species. However, all of these species are prohibited in Montana. In order to get the animals out of the state, Schubarth and the other individuals had therefore forged veterinary certificates of inspection.
“The nature of the crime uncovered here poses a potential threat to the integrity of Montana’s wildlife species,” said Ron Howell, Chief of Enforcement for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), in the Justice Department press release. “This was a complex case, and the partnership between us and the US Fish and Wildlife Service was critical to resolving the case.”
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Additional sources
- “Phys.org,” “‘Hybrid’ US sheep breeder used endangered genetic material, faces jail“ (accessed on 18.03.2024)
- Gizmodo.com, “Montana Man Pleads Guilty to Creating Massive Franken-Sheep With Cloned Animal Parts” (accessed on 18.03.2024)