The Israeli branch of the Raelian movement said today that "Eve", who they allege is the world's first cloned baby, was in Israel but that her whereabouts would be kept secret for now.
Mr Kobi Drori, a local spokesman for the movement that believes mankind was created by extra-terrestrials, said there were no plans for "Eve" and her mother to submit to DNA tests while in Israel to back the cloning claims.
Expressing scepticism that a cloned child even existed, a Florida judge dismissed on Wednesday a petition to appoint a state guardian for "Eve", who the Raelian-affiliated Clonaid company said was born on December 26th to an American mother.
Ms Brigitte Boisselier, president of Clonaid, testified at the proceedings in Fort Lauderdale that "Eve" and her mother were in Israel.
Mr Drori declined to say where the two were staying in country, claiming only the "doctor that is in charge of checking and examining" the baby knows where she is.
Clonaid has produced no evidence of the cloned infant, nor of two other allegedly cloned children it says have been born since. Scientists widely believe the assertions are a hoax to make money or garner publicity for the Raelians.