The newest addition to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is Tilek, an illegally cloned sheep at the center of a wildlife trafficking scheme.
The Marco Polo argali sheep with majestic spiral horns was seized from a hunting ranch owned by a Montana animal trafficker.
Arthur “Jack” Schubarth was sentenced to six months prison last year for illegally harvesting genetic material from argali sheep in Kyrgyzstan and smuggling it into the U.S. in 2021. The argali is believed to be the largest sheep of its species in the world, weighing as much as 300 lbs.
Schubarth had planned to use Tilek’s sperm to create larger offspring he could sell to other hunting preserves. Clients pay to access the preserves’ restricted areas to shoot, harvest, and take home animal trophies.
Tilek spent nearly four years at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Oregon before arriving in Syracuse. He spent several weeks in mandatory quarantine, while zoo staff slowly acclimated Tilek to his surroundings.
“Everything about this situation was new because it’s such a unique, novel case,” explained Dan Meates, Rosamond Gifford Zoo Interim Director. “We had to learn and adjust every point.”
Tilek has since settled into his new home in Syracuse, where the zoo staff say their top priority is to provide Tilek with the best quality of life possible.
Visitors to the zoo can see Tilek along the Wildlife Trail where he now spends his days with three male markhor mountain goat companions.
