The Northern White Rhinos

From a sign at the sanctuary: “The northern white rhino stands as the most critically endangered rhinoceros species on Earth. Throughout centuries, these majestic creatures have faced relentless hunting for their horns. Sadly, with the passing of Sudan, the last male northern white rhino on the planet in March 2018, this sub-species is currently functionally extinct.

Only two individuals are know to remain on earth - Najin, Sudan’s daughter, and Fatu, his granddaughter. They both live in Ol Pejeta Conservancy under 24 hour armed protection.

Sudan, Suni, Najin and Fatu arrived at Ol Pejeta on December 20th, 2009, from Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic. Despite four offsprings born in Dvur Kralove Zoo, the hope was that a natural habitat in Kenya would provide them with more favourable breeding conditions. Unfortunately, Suni died in October 2014, of natural causes, leaving Sudan the only remaining male, as the last bastion of hope for the species.

Unfortunately, the health and reproductive conditions of the remaining rhinos was examined in late 2014, when it was revealed that none of the animals were capable of natural reproduction; artificial reproduction is now their only option.

In collaboration with scientists from the Czech Republic, Kenya, Italy, Japan, South Africa, and the USA, the German reproduction specialists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) are developing technologies for assisted reproduction in endangered rhinoceroses. These technologies involve cell biological methods such as invitro-fertilization and stem cell research. The research aims at producing embryos and transferring them into surrogate mothers of closely related rhinoceros species and will hopefully lead to the successful regeneration of these magnificent animals.”