"Rancher's Illegal Creation of Giant Hybrid Sheep Exposed"

An 80-year-old Montana rancher pleaded guilty to illegally creating "giant hybrid sheep" by using genetic material from endangered argali sheep to clone embryos and artificially breed them with other sheep, aiming to sell them to hunting preserves for profit. He also illegally bought genetic material from wild-hunted Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and sold them across the US, violating international law and the Lacey Act. The rancher faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for each felony count and is scheduled to be sentenced in July.