Applications of Biotechnology in Wildlife Conservation: DNA Barcoding, eDNA, Cloning

Biotechnology is the use of living cells, DNA and biological processes to solve real problems. In wildlife conservation, it has become a powerful new tool. Scientists can now count elephants from their dung, identify a poached animal from a tiny piece of meat, freeze the sperm and eggs of a dying species for the future, and even help a nearly extinct rhino reproduce through IVF.

Traditional conservation – protected areas, anti-poaching patrols and captive breeding – is still the foundation, but many species have become so rare that these methods alone are not enough. This article explains the main applications of biotechnology in wildlife conservation, India's key institutions and success stories (from the Great Indian Bustard to the country's first DNA-based elephant census), global milestones such as cloning and "de-extinction", and the ethical debates. A quick revision box with memory tricks and 20 MCQs with answers follow at the end – useful for UPSC, WBCS, SSC, Railways and State PSC exams.

➤ Quick summary: Key tools – DNA barcoding, eDNA, wildlife forensics, assisted reproduction, cryopreservation, cloning, tissue culture
➤ India's main lab: LaCONES, CSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad – home of the National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank
➤ Milestone: First Great Indian Bustard chick through artificial insemination – October 2024, Jaisalmer
➤ Census: India's first DNA-based elephant count (SAIEE 2021–25) – 22,446 wild elephants
➤ Global: Northern white rhino IVF programme (BioRescue); Colossal's gene-edited "dire wolves" (2025)

What Is Conservation Biotechnology?

Conservation biotechnology means using tools of molecular biology, genetics and reproductive science to protect species and their genetic diversity. It supports both types of conservation:

• In-situ conservation (in the natural habitat) – e.g., DNA-based population counts, disease monitoring, tracking genetic health of wild populations in national parks and tiger reserves
• Ex-situ conservation (outside the natural habitat) – e.g., gene banks, frozen zoos, seed banks, artificial insemination in breeding centres, tissue culture of rare plants

Its biggest value is protecting genetic diversity. A small population can look healthy but slowly lose its genetic variety through inbreeding, making it weak against disease and climate change. Biotechnology helps measure this loss and fix it.

Major Applications of Biotechnology in Wildlife Conservation

1. DNA Barcoding – Identifying Species

DNA barcoding identifies a species using a short, standard stretch of DNA, just like a barcode identifies a product in a shop. The idea was proposed by Paul Hebert (Canada) in 2003.

• Animals: mitochondrial COI gene (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I)
• Plants: chloroplast genes rbcL and matK
• Uses: identifying seized wildlife products (meat, bones, skins, shark fins), finding new or cryptic species, checking fake herbal products and fish mislabelling

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), headquartered in Kolkata, and the Botanical Survey of India (also in Kolkata) use DNA barcoding to document India's fauna and flora, including species from the Sundarbans and the Eastern Himalaya.

2. Environmental DNA (eDNA)

Every animal sheds DNA into its surroundings through skin cells, mucus, urine and faeces. eDNA is this DNA collected from water, soil or even air. By testing a few litres of river water, scientists can tell which fish, amphibians or mammals live there – without seeing or catching a single animal.

• Useful for shy, rare or aquatic species such as the Gangetic river dolphin, otters and amphibians
• Early detection of invasive species before they spread
• Cheaper and faster than traditional field surveys

3. Non-Invasive Genetic Sampling and DNA-Based Census

Scientists collect scat (dung), hair, feathers or shed skin and extract DNA to identify individual animals. Using the mark–recapture method, they can estimate population size without touching the animals.

• Elephants: India's first DNA-based elephant count – the Synchronous All-India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25, released in October 2025 by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under Project Elephant – estimated 22,446 wild elephants. Over 21,000 dung samples were analysed. Karnataka has the most elephants, followed by Assam and Kerala
• Tigers: Camera traps are the main tool in the All India Tiger Estimation, but DNA from scat is used where camera trapping is difficult, such as in the North-East
• Genetic data also reveals corridors – whether animals in two forests still meet and breed

4. Wildlife Forensics – Fighting Poaching

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the largest illegal trades in the world. DNA forensics helps courts convict poachers by proving:

• Which species a seized product came from (e.g., tiger vs. leopard skin, deer vs. goat meat)
• Which individual animal it came from, and sometimes which area
• Whether a "captive-bred" animal was actually taken from the wild

In India: LaCONES (Hyderabad), the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun) and ZSI (Kolkata) run wildlife forensic labs that support the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and state forest departments. LaCONES alone has helped crack thousands of wildlife crime cases. In 2019, the Environment Ministry began a project to create a DNA profile of every one-horned rhino in India (RhODIS-India), covering rhino-bearing states such as Assam, West Bengal (Jaldapara, Gorumara) and Uttar Pradesh. Read more about rhino and bustard habitats in our guide to grassland and scrubland ecosystems of India.

5. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)

When rare animals cannot breed naturally – because they are too few, live far apart, or refuse to mate in captivity – ART helps.

6. Cryopreservation – Gene Banks and "Frozen Zoos"

Cryopreservation stores sperm, eggs, embryos, tissues, cells and DNA at about –196°C in liquid nitrogen. At this temperature, cells can stay viable for decades. These collections are called genetic resource banks or frozen zoos.

• The world-famous Frozen Zoo of the San Diego Zoo (USA) helped clone a Przewalski's horse and a black-footed ferret
• India's National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank at LaCONES, Hyderabad was dedicated to the nation in August 2018. It started with genetic material from 23 Indian wild species, collected mainly from animals that die in zoos
• Even if a species dies out, its frozen cells can help scientists understand or restore it later

7. Seed Banks and Plant Biotechnology

• Seed banks: India's National Gene Bank at ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi stores crop and wild plant seeds. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway (opened 2008) is the world's backup "doomsday" seed bank. A high-altitude seed vault also works at Chang La in Ladakh
• Tissue culture (micropropagation): Thousands of plants can be grown from a tiny piece of tissue in a lab. It is used to save rare orchids, medicinal plants and the endangered pitcher plant (Nepenthes khasiana) of Meghalaya
• Cryopreservation of plant tissue for species whose seeds cannot be dried and stored

8. Cloning and "De-Extinction"

Cloning creates a genetically identical copy of an animal using Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) – the nucleus of a body cell is put into an egg whose own nucleus has been removed. This is how Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996 at the Roslin Institute, Scotland.

Many scientists say Colossal's animals are gene-edited grey wolves with some dire-wolf-like traits, not true dire wolves. The debate shows the difference between real de-extinction and "functional" de-extinction.

9. Genome Sequencing and Genetic Rescue

Reading the full genome of a species shows how much genetic diversity remains and which individuals are least related. Breeding managers use this to pair animals and avoid inbreeding. When a population is badly inbred, bringing in a few animals from another population – genetic rescue – can restore its health. LaCONES studied pygmy hogs bred in captivity over eight generations and found no signs of harmful inbreeding, showing good breeding management.

10. Disease Diagnosis and Vaccines

Molecular tests (PCR) detect diseases quickly in wild animals. In 2018, many Asiatic lions died in Gir, Gujarat, from Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), and vaccines were used to protect the remaining lions. DNA-based tests also track diseases such as avian influenza in birds and elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) in elephant calves.

11. Gene Drives and Synthetic Biology (Emerging)

A gene drive makes a gene spread through a population faster than normal. It is being studied to control invasive rats on islands and mosquitoes that spread bird malaria in Hawaii. These tools are powerful but risky because changes could spread to wild populations in unexpected ways.

Key Indian Institutions

Did you know? CCMB's former director Dr. Lalji Singh, known as the father of DNA fingerprinting in India, was the driving force behind LaCONES. CCMB is one of the labs of CSIR, India's largest network of research laboratories. Programmes such as the VAIBHAV Fellowship also bring Indian-origin scientists abroad into such research partnerships.

Indian Success Stories

Great Indian Bustard – Artificial Insemination (2024)

The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), Rajasthan's state bird, is Critically Endangered, with fewer than about 150 birds left in the wild. On 16 October 2024, the first GIB chick produced through artificial insemination hatched at the Sudasari breeding centre in Jaisalmer. A male at one centre was trained to give semen, which was used to inseminate a female named "Tony" at another centre about 200 km away. The WII team learned the technique from a houbara bustard breeding programme in Abu Dhabi. The breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra in Jaisalmer now use AI regularly to grow the captive population.

Other Indian Examples

• Indian mouse deer (chevrotain): Bred at Nehru Zoological Park with CCMB support and reintroduced into the forests of Telangana in 2018 – India's first planned reintroduction of this species
• Blackbuck, spotted deer and Nicobar pigeon successfully bred through assisted reproduction at LaCONES
• Pashmina goat "Noori" (2012) – first cloned Pashmina goat, Kashmir
• Elephant DNA census (SAIEE 2021–25) – a new scientific baseline for Project Elephant
• Rhino DNA profiling – helps trace horns seized from poachers back to individual rhinos

Such projects are backed by government science policy, including the BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2024. India's research priorities over the decades are covered in our article on economic planning, Five-Year Plans and NITI Aayog, and funding for scientific departments comes through the Union Budget.

Global Success Stories

Legal and International Framework

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended in 2022 to implement CITES) – DNA evidence is used in prosecutions under this Act
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002 – controls access to India's biological resources and genetic material; requires approval from the National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – its Cartagena Protocol deals with the safe transfer of living modified organisms, and the Nagoya Protocol with fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources
• CITES – regulates international trade in endangered species; DNA tests help check whether traded products are legal. Global trade rules and institutions are explained in our guide on the WTO, World Bank and other financial institutions
• Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under MoEFCC – approves release of genetically modified organisms in India

Challenges and Ethical Concerns

• High cost: Labs, liquid nitrogen storage and skilled scientists are expensive, and money spent on biotech may take funds away from habitat protection
• "Moral hazard": If people believe extinct species can be brought back, they may care less about saving living ones
• Low success rates: Cloning and IVF often fail many times before one success; cloned animals may have health problems
• Loss of behaviour: A cloned or lab-born animal may lack learned behaviours such as hunting, migration or social skills
• Habitat still needed: No technology helps if there is no forest, grassland or river left for animals to live in
• Ecological risk: Gene drives and gene-edited animals could have unintended effects in the wild
• Animal welfare concerns about surrogates and repeated procedures

The scientific consensus is clear: biotechnology is a support tool, not a replacement for protecting habitats and stopping poaching.

20 MCQs on Applications of Biotechnology in Wildlife Conservation

Q1. LaCONES, India's dedicated laboratory for the conservation of endangered species, is located in:
(a) Dehradun
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Kolkata
(d) Bengaluru

Answer: (b) – It is part of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.

Q2. India's National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank was dedicated to the nation in:
(a) 2007
(b) 2012
(c) 2018
(d) 2022

Answer: (c) – It was dedicated in August 2018 at LaCONES, Hyderabad.

Q3. Which gene is most commonly used for DNA barcoding of animals?
(a) rbcL
(b) matK
(c) COI
(d) 16S rRNA

Answer: (c) – The mitochondrial COI gene; rbcL and matK are used for plants.

Q4. The concept of DNA barcoding was proposed by:
(a) Ian Wilmut
(b) Paul Hebert
(c) Lalji Singh
(d) Kary Mullis

Answer: (b) – Paul Hebert proposed it in 2003.

Q5. What does "eDNA" stand for?
(a) Extracted DNA
(b) Environmental DNA
(c) Engineered DNA
(d) Embryonic DNA

Answer: (b) – DNA collected from water, soil or air to detect species.

Q6. The first Great Indian Bustard chick produced through artificial insemination hatched in October 2024 in:
(a) Kutch, Gujarat
(b) Solapur, Maharashtra
(c) Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
(d) Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

Answer: (c) – It hatched at the Sudasari breeding centre, Jaisalmer.

Q7. The artificial insemination technique for the Great Indian Bustard was learned from a breeding programme for which bird in Abu Dhabi?
(a) Ostrich
(b) Houbara bustard
(c) Peregrine falcon
(d) Flamingo

Answer: (b) – The WII team trained with the houbara bustard programme.

Q8. India's first DNA-based elephant census (SAIEE 2021–25) estimated the wild elephant population at:
(a) 18,255
(b) 22,446
(c) 27,312
(d) 29,964

Answer: (b) – The report was released in October 2025 by the Wildlife Institute of India.

Q9. Which state has the highest number of wild elephants according to SAIEE 2021–25?
(a) Assam
(b) Kerala
(c) Karnataka
(d) Odisha

Answer: (c) – Karnataka is first, followed by Assam and Kerala.

Q10. The DNA-based elephant census mainly used samples of:
(a) Blood
(b) Dung
(c) Tusks
(d) Hair from tranquilised elephants

Answer: (b) – Dung DNA was used with the mark–recapture method, a non-invasive approach.

Q11. Liquid nitrogen used for cryopreservation in frozen zoos has a temperature of about:
(a) –20°C
(b) –80°C
(c) –196°C
(d) –273°C

Answer: (c) – Cells and gametes stay viable for decades at –196°C.

Q12. The first endangered species to be cloned (2001) was:
(a) Giant panda
(b) Gaur
(c) Snow leopard
(d) Asiatic cheetah

Answer: (b) – A gaur named Noah, born to a domestic cow, died within two days.

Q13. The first extinct animal to be "brought back" briefly through cloning in 2003 was the:
(a) Woolly mammoth
(b) Dodo
(c) Pyrenean ibex (bucardo)
(d) Thylacine

Answer: (c) – The cloned kid died minutes after birth.

Q14. "Noori", cloned in 2012 in India, was the world's first cloned:
(a) Buffalo
(b) Pashmina goat
(c) Camel
(d) Yak

Answer: (b) – It was created by SKUAST-Kashmir.

Q15. Colossal Biosciences' "dire wolf" pups announced in 2025 were created by:
(a) Cloning frozen dire wolf cells
(b) Gene-editing grey wolf cells
(c) Crossing dogs and coyotes
(d) IVF using fossil sperm

Answer: (b) – Grey wolf cells were edited using dire wolf DNA from fossils; many experts dispute the "de-extinction" claim.

Q16. How many northern white rhinos are left in the world?
(a) Two females
(b) One male and one female
(c) Five
(d) Twelve

Answer: (a) – Najin and Fatu; the last male, Sudan, died in 2018. IVF with surrogates is the only hope.

Q17. Who is known as the father of DNA fingerprinting in India?
(a) M.S. Swaminathan
(b) Lalji Singh
(c) Har Gobind Khorana
(d) Salim Ali

Answer: (b) – Dr. Lalji Singh of CCMB was also the force behind LaCONES.

Q18. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located in:
(a) Iceland
(b) Norway
(c) Canada
(d) Russia

Answer: (b) – It is on an Arctic island of Norway and opened in 2008.

Q19. Which animal was reintroduced into the forests of Telangana in 2018 with CCMB's support?
(a) Indian mouse deer
(b) Blackbuck
(c) Pygmy hog
(d) Swamp deer

Answer: (a) – The Indian spotted chevrotain was bred at Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad.

Q20. The headquarters of the Zoological Survey of India, which carries out DNA barcoding of Indian fauna, is in:
(a) New Delhi
(b) Dehradun
(c) Kolkata
(d) Chennai

Answer: (c) – Both ZSI and the Botanical Survey of India are headquartered in Kolkata.

Conclusion

Biotechnology has given conservationists tools that were unimaginable a generation ago – counting elephants from dung, catching poachers with DNA, freezing the genes of endangered animals and breeding birds through artificial insemination. India has made strong progress through LaCONES, WII and ZSI, with milestones such as the GIB artificial insemination chick and the first DNA-based elephant census. But technology cannot replace forests, grasslands and rivers. For exams, remember the key tools (barcoding, eDNA, ART, cryopreservation, cloning), the Indian institutions and their locations, and the major milestones. Revise the memory tricks above once more before your exam.