BUSINESS INSIDER
A Montana rancher, who pleaded guilty to two wildlife-related felonies, tried to illegally breed a “giant hybrid sheep” species for higher returns in the hunting market, the Justice Department said.
Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 80, sought to create offshoots of a sheep species from Central Asia prized among hunters — the Marco Polo argali sheep, the DOJ said in a Tuesday release.
He became the center of a 10-year conspiracy that involved sheep cloning, cross-breeding, and illegal import of animal parts like testicles, per prosecutors.
By cross-breeding the argali with other sheep species, such as the Rocky Mountain bighorn, Schubarth sought to create huge sheep hybrids, per court documents seen by Business Insider.
