Jensen, E. A. (2014, published online before print). Cloning wild life: Zoos, captivity, and the future of endangered animals. New Genetics and Society, 35 (1). DOI: 10.1080/14636778.2014.940456
Cloning Wild Life presents a largely sociological account of endangered species cloning practices laced with narratives from the author’s research. This research included interviews with contributing scientists in the field of endangered species cloning. Touching on numerous social theorists, the book is clearly concerned with issues far beyond the particular topic of cloning endangered species. The fact that the very definitions of endangered species and biodiversity are being brought into question by cloning makes this a particularly important story, justifying the extended focus in this book.
As a piece of research, the book has much to commend it. It engages with a wide range of theoretical accounts, interwoven with empirical findings that are communicated in a largely accessible manner. One of the more interesting dimensions in the research is the scientists’ efforts to downplay their work (“nothing spectacular” to see here) to avoid the spotlight due to concern that there may be public resistance to endangered animal cloning. The strategic nature of such scientist-participants’ self-presentation and framing efforts, however, could have been drawn out further in the book.
Given the sociological framing at the start and finish of the book, parts of it are surprisingly descriptive, emphasizing the scientific and technical processes involved. There are some limitations in terms of its robustness as a research account. While the author’s interviews with scientists hold some interest, these are relatively few in number and the claims in the book sometimes go beyond this data. The claims about public and media dimensions of the issue are often – but not always – supported by references. This means that some statements about the broader context for public and media reception of endangered species cloning are speculative in nature.
