Cloning extinct species IMO is only interesting for scientists, not for the general idea of preserving animals, plants etc. I really doubt that a cloned sabre-tooth tiger would ever find its way out of the lab or the zoo, though. It's far too valuable to be shot by a hunter, die of an illness it never was confronted with in its time on earth, or be killed off by the present animal population. It's scientists flexing their muscles, who can do what under the vail of 'Think what we could learn could we study extinct animals.'