Scientists in the United States have announced the birth of the world’s

first cloned mule. The foal is nearly a month old and appears to be

perfectly healthy. The scientist in charge of its creation says that

“We found calcium seems to be critically important for equine

reproduction. Once we boosted the level of calcium in our culture medium

we started seeing results.” Male show-jumping horses are routinely

castrated, so cannot breed – making cloning, perhaps, an attractive

option for their owners.