All hopes lie on the world's last male northern white rhino
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- Опубликовано: 16 ноя 2016
- (28 Feb 2016) LEAD IN:
The northern white rhino is on the brink of extinction. Only three remain on the planet - and they are under 24-hour armed guard.
Now scientists are attempting IVF with surrogate females from a different subspecies in a race against time to keep the species alive.
STORY-LINE:
And then there were three.
This is Sudan, the world's last remaining male northern white rhino.
He lives at the Ol Pejeta conservancy in central Kenya along with two females, Fatu and Najin.
Since his fellow male Suni died last year, the fate of the northern white rhino species rests on Sudan's shoulders.
"There were two males and two females but we have lost one male, so we've got one male and two females," says keeper Zacharia Mutai.
There are no known northern white rhinos in the wild.
Sudan and the females are under 24-hour armed guard to protect them from poachers.
"Well securing Northern white rhinos entails us to be out for at least 14 hours per shift. So everyone is out at around six in the evening and the other shift takes over at 10 am the next morning. So everyone is out and dedicated to the northern white rhinos," says guard Paul Waweru.
Sudan got his name from his origin of birth, South Sudan.
Born in 1973 and captured in 1975, he was taken to a zoo in the Czech Republic where he stayed in captivity for decades.
He was brought back to Africa in 2009 for breeding together with three other rhinos - his current companions Fatu and Najin and the late male, Suni.
The rhinos are protected, fed and groomed, and they seem to have forged good relationships with the keepers and guards.
"He really enjoys being rubbed under the belly. Sometimes behind the ears. He's ok when he is being rubbed. And even sometimes we can use a brush to scratch him and he likes that," says Mutai.
Sudan is keen to mate, but there's a problem. At 43 years old, he's not as strong as he used to be.
His semen quality is not the best and neither is his ability to mount naturally.
Attempts to breed the rhinos have failed, so now the keepers are turning to desperate measures.
"Right now Sudan is too old, but he is looking for the females, but when we look at him the hind leg is weak of which he is not able to mount on the females, because it can't support itself, that's why it can't mate in a natural way, so but we have collected semen before for the use of IVF," says Mutai.
"Also one of the females - she has got the same problem like Sudan, the hind leg is bad, it's weak, so she can't be able to support herself when being mounted. So the only way we can do it is we can combine semen from the male and also collect eggs from the two females and plant (them) in a southern white rhino of which the southern white rhino would be a surrogate mother. It's just a way of trying to save them. If it works it will help to save this endangered species."
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy says this IVF procedure using a southern white female as a surrogate has never been done before, and is not without risks.
The remaining three northern whites are not getting any younger and could die before the procedure has been successfully developed.
Rhinos are native to South Sudan, Congo, Central Africa Republic and Chad, countries that have witnessed years of civil wars making conservation efforts futile.
This subspecies has been decimated by poachers who kill them for their horns.
The horns are in high demand in parts of Asia, where some people claim they have medicinal properties for treating everything from hangovers to cancer.
Theoretically stem cells can produce any body tissue.
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God bless you all for taking care of them...RIP Sudan....amen
To all of you who fought so hard to save the northern white rhino - I send my thanks, my respect, and my sympathy in the loss of Sudan. The poachers killed to many - but they did not win. Now the poachers have no more market for the northern white rhino horn. Please don't give up on the rhino though. There are other rhino varieties that need you - your heart - your knowledge and your protection. God bless you all.
God Bless You for Fighting them to live.
oh my goodness,how alone this last rhino must of felt...we humans should be ashamed
RIP Sudan
A very sad day indeed. A big thank you to those who have put their lives on the line to protect them. It is a shame those poachers and those who purchased their horns could not see the folly of their ways.
Donald Johnson what about the corrupt wildlife officials who often collude with these miscreants?
This is so sad. Boycott Jimmy John's, he is part of the problem too. "Jimmy John's owner spent $350k to 'trophy hunt' extremely endangered female Black Rhino."
what a sad story that these wonderful rhinos have to have protection, day and night....you guys are awesome heroes...through human greed and superstition these rhinos are almost extinct!!
He died. As of now only two (female) Northern White Rhinos left in the entire planet. So heartbreaking. I want to thank these guys for protecting them and putting their lives in the line.
May you Rest In Peace ✌🏻
Went to see Sudan this weekend. Hope they can save species.
RIP sudan my heart is broken 😔
R.I.P Sudan.
RIP. :,( . . .
RIP Sudan..
Goodbye 😥 Rip SUDAN
Rest in peace sudan you dont have to worry about poachers anymore
What a sad, sad day for the world
God bless you heroes
R.I.P Sudan
what happened to ringo?
msblue1003 hunted
rip Sudan
hat's off to these men
Whoops
Rip sudan
ITS NOW AFRICA SHOULD KNOW, THAT REAL GOD BLESSED THEM
☹
but ringo is male?
Whooops
He Died. Extincted from the earth.
An now, the male has died. What now?
I'm a lone rhinocerous
there ain't one hell of a lot of us...
left in this world
lone Rhino Adrian Belew
Which is future the Rhinos ? Which is future the wildanimals ? Which is future the planet ? The human destroy ....
save our wildlife..
i guess hes the winner of fortnite
It happens to old men too when his willing but the body doesn't function! 😎
NAN KO BBOL SSO GA JOU A YO~~
why dont we clone him? we clone horses for use in Polo , why not clone a rhino?
Same people watching over them is the same people that's hunting them to extinction.
The poachers and these ppl all come from the same village. Or kn each other. SAD THAT IT COMES TO THIS
The G3, an amazing rifle.
But sudan right now is dead😭
Cross Pink how do they mean last male white rhino is he the last MALE rhino?
Most protected animal in the wold like most protected president in the world. They should deploy more gards otherwise they will become extict.
He ded now
Male died lol
Blacks ....ffs.
this is so sad but as the second coming of Christ nears, everything must come to an end. only mountains will remain. even you pitying this rhino will see your end............... let us await right in the right gear
Martyn Kimanthy god isn't real
blah blah blah
krazibon3 who
Danny451 Fuentes k I respect your beliefs but I’m not gonna say what I believe or what I don’t
The messiah has come
RIP Sudan