Arthur "Jack" Shubart from Montana has pleaded guilty to two federal crimes against wildlife - he cloned an argali (mountain sheep). According to court documents, from 2013 to 2021, Shubart conspired with at least five people to create a larger hybrid sheep species for high-priced trophy hunting on private game reserves.
The man illegally imported part of a killed argali from Kyrgyzstan, a species under international protection and banned in Montana. He paid a laboratory to create cloned embryos from the animal's DNA, which were then implanted into sheep on his ranch. This resulted in the birth of the pure genetic male "Mountain King of Montana" or "MMK," used for breeding with hybrid sheep of other species.
The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that the group aimed to breed larger and more valuable sheep for trophy hunting ranches, primarily in Texas. The 80-year-old American also purchased parts of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunted in the wild in Montana, using the extracted sperm to breed large rams and sheep crossed with the argali.
Shubart's sentencing is scheduled for July 11, facing up to five years in prison for each charge. However, his plea agreement with the prosecution may lead to a more lenient sentence if he continues to cooperate. The guilty plea deal also includes a fine to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and quarantining all foreign or hybrid animals for inspection and potential castration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Kim described Shubart's actions as a "bold scheme to create mass hybrid sheep species for sale and trophy hunting." He stated that the defendant violated the Lacey Act, which restricts the trade of wildlife and prohibits selling wild animals with false labeling.
