The Zoological Park Organisation has made progress in its efforts to a clone Siamese Eld's deer with the successful production of an embryo.
Scientists have now frozen the embryo to await the selection of a suitable deer to carry the embryo to natural delivery.
Ampika Thongphakdee, a veterinarian with the Bureau of Conservation Research and Education, said researchers successfully developed the Siamese Eld's deer embryo by collecting a cell from the ear of a Siamese Eld's deer at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri province.
The cell was treated in the laboratory and later injected into the womb of a cow until it developed into an embryo.
"We have now frozen the embryo and are awaiting a proper mother deer. We will transfer the embryo into its womb. We can say we have completed over 50% of the cloning process. If successful, we will have cloned the world's first Siamese Eld's deer," Ms Ampika said.
The organisation would contact a deer-breeding cooperative to find a mother deer to complete the project.
The Zoological Park Organisation started the Siamese Eld's deer cloning project in 2013 in an attempt to preserve the endangered species and increase its population in the wild.
Siamese Eld's deer, one of 15 preserved wildlife species under the 1960 Preservation and Protection of Wildlife Act, have disappeared from the wild in Thailand but some can be found in Cambodian forests.
There are around 30 Siamese Eld's deer in Thai zoos, another 20 in Cambodian zoos and a small number in a zoo in Paris, France. The species has a high risk of extinction due to its small number.
Wisid Wichasilpa, deputy director-general of the Zoological Park Organisation, said increasing the population of rare wildlife species is a challenging task, which is why technology such as cloning and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are playing a key role.
Thailand succeeded in using IVF that led to the birth of Linping, a baby panda at Chiang Mai Zoo in 2009.
It also worked closely with the Department of Wildlife and Plant Conservation to release the first IVF Burmese Eld's deer back to nature at the Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi in 2012, he said.
The organisation has recently established the Wildlife Reproductive Innovation Centre to collect genetic materials from rare wildlife to further its cloning and IVF efforts.
It has collected stem cells from 24 endangered animals for further research and study.
The organisation will host the 6th Wildlife Assisted Reproductive Technologies Workshop on March 8-15 at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where vets from Asean countries and beyond will share their knowledge on reproductive technology.
The organisation aims to become a regional leader in wildlife reproductive technology, Mr Wisid said.