LHASA, July 11 (Xinhua) -- A cloned yak was born via caesarean section on Thursday at a yak breeding base in Damxung County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, researchers have said.

The cloned calf weighed 33.5 kg at birth, heavier than most yak newborns, according to the researchers.

Xinhua reporters saw the calf, which has a completely black coat, at the breeding base on Friday. It was able to walk and in good health.

The project began in July 2023 as a joint initiative by a research team from Zhejiang University in east China, the Damxung County government and the Institute of Plateau Biology of Xizang Autonomous Region.

The scientists used whole-genome selection and somatic cell cloning technologies to produce the cloned yak.

Fang Shengguo, who led the research team from Zhejiang University, said that cloning technology will play a key role in improving yak breeds and building a breeding system for high-altitude livestock in Xizang.

Yaks are endemic to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, serving as both key livelihood assets for local herding communities and an integral component of the plateau's ecosystem.