Scientists still think they can save the highly-endangered Northern White Rhino from extinction.
Once common throughout central Africa, the species has been hunted to almost complete extinction.
Only two females remain - but conservationists are relatively upbeat that the species will still be with us for years to come.
“The last [male] Northern White Rhino, Sudan, he died in 2018 and there’s only two rhinos left, Najin and her daughter Fatu,” Dr Ruth Freeman told The Pat Kenny Show.
“They are kept under 24 hour armed guard in a nature reserve in Kenya.
“Before he died, the researchers were able to get sperm from Sudan and they have managed to create about 30 embryos which have been sitting on ice for a number of years.”
Sudan - the last male Northern White Rhino, who spent most of its life in the Czech Republic and died in Kenya in 2018. Credit: Naegele Eliska/CTK Photo/Alamy Live NewsDr Freeman describes the embryos as “very precious” but the process of turning the embryos into baby rhinos is fraught with difficulties.
IVF was designed for humans - not rhinos - and scientists have decided not to use Najin and Fatu.
“They’re too old and they have health problems,” Dr Freeman said.
“They are not going to be able to carry a pregnancy.
“We only developed IVF for humans and cattle and it’s quite a different proposition in a two and a half tonne rhino.”
Scientists have successfully managed to implant an embryo into a Southern White Rhino.
Although the pregnancy ended in miscarriage amid extreme weather in Kenya, scientists now know IVF can work on rhinos.
NORTHERN WHITE RHINO EMBRYO UPDATE
Fantastic news as FIVE new embryos and new surrogate mothers added to the Northern White Rhino rescue project!
Thread 👇 pic.twitter.com/WaoB3j96CB— Ol Pejeta (@OlPejeta) July 18, 2023
Southern White Rhinos are very closely related to Northern White Rhinos and it is hoped they will be able to successfully carry the embryos to term.
The plan is to implant the embryos in the coming months and the babies could be born in 2026.
“They will want them to spend some time with Najin and Fatu, so they can learn how to be a Northern White Rhino,” Dr Freeman said.
“The lifestyles of these two different rhinos are quite different in terms of how they graze and where they live.
“The Southern is more savannah based, whereas the Northern is in more frosted areas.”
Hope for the northern white rhino.
Thread 👇 pic.twitter.com/mUrxcapy2k— Ol Pejeta (@OlPejeta) March 17, 2023
If successful, the technique could be used to help preserve other endangered species as well.
“The Javan rhino, there’s only about 70 left,” she said.
“The Sumatran rhino, maybe 40.
“So, it could be used for them and other big beasts where their numbers are dwindling quickly.”
The process costs a huge amount of money and there will likely be problems with the gene pool - but scientists believe that is not an insurmountable problem.
“They’re saying we have techniques like gene editing,” Dr Freeman said.
“We could potentially create genetic diversity - but wouldn’t it be much easier not to let it get to this point?”
An estimated 27,000 rhino survive in the wild.
Main image: Northern White Rhinos grazing in the wild at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Nanyuki, Kenya. 23 June 2023. Picture by: Alamy.com
