In 2002, the banteng, an endangered species, was cloned for the first time. Bantengs, or Bali cattle (Bos javanicus), have been hunted for their slender, curved horns and now number fewer than 8,000 in the wild, mostly scattered in small herds on the island of Java.

The cloning project was the result of a collaboration between Advanced Cell Technology, now Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the San Diego Zoo, Iowa State University and Trans Ova Genetics.