“Frankensheep”: Montana Man Playing God, Pleads Guilty

“Frankensheep”: Montana Man Playing God, Pleads Guilty

By Todd Helms

https://www.justice.gov

“A Montana man pleaded guilty today to two felony wildlife crimes – a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and substantively violating the Lacey Act – as part of an almost decade-long effort to create giant sheep hybrids in the United States with an aim to sell the species to captive hunting facilities.”

Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, owner and operator of Sun River Enterprises LLC, an “alternative” livestock ranch in Vaughn, MT trafficked Marco Polo sheep parts to create cloned embryos with which he artificially inseminated ewes on his ranch. His experiment resulted in a single “pure genetic male Marco Polo argali that he named “Montana Mountain King”’. Schubarth also illegally obtained genetic material from wild bighorn sheep in Montana in his efforts to create hybrid sheep. 

In short, the driving inspiration behind his “work” was to create a strain of hybrid sheep which would grow enormous horns and be available for purchase and offered to exotic game ranches in Texas to be shot for “sport”. 

Wow! Apparently there is no limit to the lengths some people will go to find ways to make a buck. I mean Dr. Victor Frankenstein was merely motivated by the “secret of life” when he created his monster. It seems that the lessons in Mary Shelley’s novel evaded Mr. Schubarth and he is now paying for his transgressions. 

Sometimes a story such as this, which is almost beyond the scope of the bizarre, comes across my desk and I’m left scratching my head. I cannot begin to understand the people who tinker with nature on this level or the folks who are willing to finance such madness by “hunting” (I use the term very, very loosely) the monstrosities spawned by those willing to play God. 

I can’t wait to hear your opinions on this one! Leave me your take in the comments.