A team of South Korean and Russian scientists has taken the first key step towards resurrecting the extinct Siberian wooly mammoth that died-off some 3,700 years ago.

The team, led by controversial South Korean geneticist Hwang Woo-Suk who was dismissed 10 years ago by Seoul National University for faking stem cell research results, has the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hwang is currently a professor of the South Korean Foundation of Biotechnological Research SOAAM that is undertaking the cloning along with Russia's World Mammoth Center.

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Hwang said that as a result of "tireless joint efforts, we have achieved what we call the 'initial stage' on our way to recovering the mammoth." He didn't described what progress in the "initial stage" was but did say the results will be published in scientific journals.

Semyon Grigoriev, head of the World Mammoth Center at the North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) located in Siberia, explained there are two options in mammoth cloning. The first one is through the search for active cells while the second is the artificial DNA synthesis. He pointed out the team is at the initial stage of mammoth recovery and is focusing the search for active cells.

Hwang revealed the second step and future research is already being planned by NEFU academics.

"We continue the search for new materials and samples. We need (a) cell that could share information. If we could find a sample that is not only well preserved but also in which biochemical processes can take place, we will be able to impregnate it with the help of the Asian elephant materials," said Hwang.

Wooly mammoths roamed the planet for over 350,000 years before becoming extinct toward the end of the last Ice Age some 4,500 years ago. The World Mammoth Center has the world's largest collection of frozen ancient mammoth carcasses and remains. It has over 2,000 samples in its possession. Many of the mammoth remains were dug up from the permafrost surrounding the center.

Hwang did not set a year for when the wooly mammoth will walk the Earth again.

Tagswooly mammoth, Hwang Woo-Suk, Vladimir Putin, Semyon Grigoriev, SOAAM, World Mammoth Center