There is an international race to prevent the extinction of the northern white rhino. Only two rhinos still exist, a mother and her daughter. But, an international consortium of scientists and conservationists are working to change that. In December 2020, two white rhino embryos were created using advanced reproduction technologies, bringing the total to five. The eggs were fertilized with semen collected from Suni, who was the second-last male northern white rhino.
Northern white rhinos are already extinct in the wild.
The remaining two northern white rhinos live in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Thomas Hildebrandt, a researcher on the team seeking to save the species, said in a press release , “We humans are directly responsible for almost all cases of extinction of animal species, therefore I see it as our duty to try everything humanly possible to save one or another species after all.” In this case, it means developing advanced methods for assisted reproduction.
The ova were collected from Fatu, the daughter.
To increase the likelihood of creating an embryo, egg cells were collected from the rhinos to be artificially inseminated in an undisturbed incubation environment. The rhinos were put under during the collection procedure. However, Najin did not produce any eggs. It is not clear why. It could be because she is older (31 years old), or it could be due to poor health.
The looming loss of these magnificent animals is personal to the keepers.
James Mwenda, one of the keepers, told The Guardian , “I watch these beautiful animals walk the path toward extinction every day. […] I’ve watched their numbers fall from seven to two … Working with them and watching what’s happening – it’s an emotional freefall. But I’ve dedicated my life to it.”
The Kenyan government strongly supports the program.
Hon Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary of Tourism and Wildlife, has this to say: “As one of the leading countries globally in wildlife conservation, we are committed to continue facilitating this collaborative process to its logical conclusion by providing support to enable this important work to continue.
“I am delighted that the world has a chance through use of cutting edge and innovative technologies to save this threatened wildlife species for posterity and that Kenya is playing its part in this critical conservation effort.
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“We must do everything possible to save this species from extinction. Remember, extinction is forever. Once we lose this species we will have lost an iconic animal which will not be seen again by future generations.”
The white rhino conservation efforts have transformed from hopelessness to a new horizon.
The team hopes to birth a calf in two to three years. Additional embryos will also be implanted in southern white rhinos to bolster the conservation efforts. Southern white rhinos diverged from northern white rhinos about a million years ago, but they are still similar enough to act as a surrogate.
Further research is also looking into using skin cells to produce new embryos. This will allow scientists to increase the genetic diversity of the new population. We currently have more skin cell samples than reproductive cells.
It is hoped that within 20 to 30 years, a large enough population will be established for them to establish a range in Uganda. These new techniques have given us time and hope.
h/t: The Guardian , BioRescue
