Tokyo (dpa) - A female calf was born Thursday from a cow that had been impregnated with the sperm of a cloned bull, becoming the second such birth for Japan and probably the world, the head of a livestock research centre said.

The birth of the calf was announced by Yotaro Sasae of the Oita Prefectural Institute of Animal Industry in western Japan. The first one was a male calf born October 4 in Kagoshima Prefecture near Oita.

"This birth proves that Yumefuku, as a cloned bull, is capable of breeding. This is a great step toward the practical use of cloning technology in livestock raising," said an institute official.

According to the institute, the 31-kilogram calf was born at 3:53 a.m. Thursday, three days later than expected.

Institute officials were investigating the condition of the calf, such as the possibility it inherited Yumefuku's characteristics.

Yumefuku, cloned from a cell taken from the back muscle of a bull named Itofuku, was born at the institute in November 1998.

The Oita institute officials were pinning their hopes on promoting the use of cloning technology in the raising of livestock, including the development of better breeds.

In January, the institute began artificially inseminating cows with Yumefuku's sperm. By May, 11 cows turned out to be pregnant.

According to the institute, more calves are expected to be born sometime by March next year.

(From Sohu)