Four cloned Mongolian gazelles, born out of goats' wombs, have survived in China, marking the world's first case of gazelle-goat cloning, Chinese scientists announced in eastern Shandong Province on Thursday.

No other countries have been able to clone Mongolian gazelles within goats, said Zeng Yitao, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and one of the seven scientists who came to Linyi City of Shandong to appraise the cloning project.

Experts said the cloning provided a way to preserve the precious breeds in the animal circle. Mongolian gazelles are an improved breed of goat living in China.

Zeng said scientists extracted the body cells of Mongolian gazelles and planted them into the follicle cells of the goats, after the goat's genes were taken away.

Six out of the 26 goats got pregnant and bore six baby gazelles, only two of which stillborn, scientists said.

The baby gazelles are doing well, running and hopping a lot, they said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2005)