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The world's first cloned camel is pregnant, scientists claim.

The mother-to-be, whose name is Injaz, was cloned from the ovarian cells of a slaughtered camel in 2009 and born from a  surrogate mother.

Injaz was six years old this week and is said to have conceived naturally.

The world's first cloned camel is pregnant, scientists claim. The mother-to-be, whose name is Injaz, was cloned from the ovarian cells of a slaughtered camel in 2009 and born by surrogate mother. Injaz is pictured here when she was just six days old

Dr Nisar Wani, scientific director of the Reproductive Biotechnology Centre in Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, told The National: 'We are very excited because Injaz is now pregnant and we expect to have a calf from her late this year. 

'She has conceived in a natural way. This will prove cloned camels are fertile and can reproduce the same as naturally produced camels.'

The birth of Injaz, whose name means 'achievement' in Arabic, caused great excitement in 2009 and scientists said that cloning would help to preserve the genetics of the camel population.

Camels are a valuable commodity in the desert sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf, and are used for racing and transport.

They can also produce low-fat milk and can make owners millions of dollars at camel beauty contests.

Since Injaz was born, many more animals have been produced by genetic cloning, including one from the cells of a camel beauty pageant winner. It's 19 years since the first mammal was cloned. Dolly the sheep (pictured) was born in Edinburgh using DNA from an adult cell

Since Injaz was born, many more animals have been produced by genetic cloning, including one from the cells of a camel beauty pageant winner, the BBC reported. 

It took five years of work before Injaz was cloned.

She was born on April 8, 2009 weighing 66lbs (30kg), after an uncomplicated gestation of 378 days.

The calf was created from cells harvested from the ovary of an adult camel. The cells were then planted into the egg of a surrogate mother.

Injaz was confirmed as genetically identical to the camel the cells were taken from, according to United Arab Emirates newspapers at the time.

The world's first mammal was cloned 19 years ago. Dolly the sheep was born in Edinburgh using DNA from an adult cell.

Dolly was put down in 2003, after being diagnosed with lung disease, but since then, scientists have successfully cloned mice, cows, pigs and dogs as well as camels.

HAVE SCIENTISTS GENETICALLY MODIFIED HUMAN EMBRYOS SO CHANGES ARE INHERITED? 

Human embryos have been genetically modified so that any changes made will be carried on into future generations for the first time, according to scientists.

Researchers around the world are bracing themselves for the results of a study by scientists in China that has introduced DNA changes to reproductive cells.

Many scientists have already reacted with horror at the idea, for fear it could be misused to allow parents to 'select' the genes they will pass on to their grandchildren.

Human embryos, like the one above, may have been genetically modified with new gene editing techniques

They say that even embryos created in this way for research purposes only could have serious ethical and safety implications. They have described it as 'dangerous and ethically unacceptable'.

However, others argue that the technology could also be used to rid families of devastating inherited diseases like cystic fibrosis or certain cancers.

Until now scientists have concentrated on using genome editing techniques on somatic cells - non-reproductive cells like those found in skin, muscle, nerves, bone and liver for example - to help them study diseases.

Modifying the DNA of human embryos so that DNA changes are preserved in the germline - the sperm and eggs - means such alterations can be passed on to future generations.

Such work is already illegal in many countries around the world including the UK, but is permitted in the US and China.

A number of groups around the world are thought to be working on techniques to genetically modify human embryos.