A controversial cloned goat has given birth to twin babies.

Yangyang, a 14-month-old female cloned goat, gave birth to the twin kids in China Yangling Cloned Animal Base in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province yesterday morning.

At press time, the 24 centimetre high, 1.4 kilogram male named "Huan Huan," had begun to walk a short distance.

His younger sister "Qing Qing" was reported to be able to take very unsteady steps.

Both of the two newly-born goats look healthy and have spent most of their time drinking breast milk from their mother.

According to experts at the base, Yangyang got pregnant after having natural intercourse with a male cloned goat nearly five months ago.

This proves that goats cloned from somatic cells and embryos can reproduce normally and have the same development and reproductive abilities as ordinary goats.

Yangyang is the second goat cloned from somatic cells at the base. The first, also a female, died from respiratory failure stemming from undeveloped lungs 36 hours after she was born.

Yangyang was born at the breeding sheep base of the Northwest University of Agriculture and Forestry Science and Technology on June 22 last year.

The father of the twin is the strongest one of all the five goats reproduced in 1995 through embryo clone technology by Zhang Yong, said an expert at the University.

(China Daily 09/08/2001)