Well, hello Dolly… and Dolly… and Dolly.

These sheep are genetic copies of Dolly, the world’s first cloned mammal, and they’re looking well, according to researcher Kevin Sinclair.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) Professor Kevin Sinclair, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, SAYING:

“Overall the results are suggesting that these animals are remarkably healthy.”

Dolly was cloned in Scotland in 1996, but died prematurely, raising fears that cloned cells would age more quickly.

But these four sheep-named Daisy, Debbie, Dianna and Denise-are now between 7 and 9 years old.

Sinclair says that’s good news for doctors and farmers.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) Professor Kevin SINCLAIR, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, SAYING:

“There’s hope that we can actually achieve the goal of reprogramming cells in an efficient way which will lead to the safe application of this technology for biomedical purposes or agricultural purposes.”

Researchers hope cloning can be used to help those suffering from Parkinson’s disease or spinal cord injuries.

Meaning Dolly’s legacy may live on for a long time.