Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Friday 9 March 2018

Scientists hope to save northern white rhino from extinction

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — As
the health of the world's
last male northern white
rhino declines in Kenya,
a global team of scien-
tists and conservationists
is pushing ahead with an
ambitious effort to save the
subspecies from extinction
with the help of the two sur-
viving females.
Participants in the project
to create northern white
rhino embryos through in
vitro fertilization say its suc-
cess depends not on the
sick, elderly male named
Sudan, but on his daughter
Najin and granddaughter
Fatu, whose eggs would
likely have to be extracted
because the rhinos can't
reproduce naturally. Even
so, Sudan, who could be
euthanized because of a In this photo taken Wednesday, May 3, 2017, a ranger takes care of Sudan, the world's last male northern white rhino, at the Ol Pe-
jeta Conservancy in Laikipia county in Kenya. The health of 45-year old Sudan is deteriorating and his minders said Thursday, March
leg infection, is something 1, 2018, that his "future is not looking bright."
of a celebrity, attracting Associated Press
thousands of visitors to his
home at Ol Pejeta Conser-
vancy and being listed as ceived through IVF for the on other critically endan- ing research into IVF — into that would remove rhino
"The Most Eligible Bachelor first time in 2016. However, gered species, including saving the species which eggs with a needle insert-
in the World" on the Tinder scientists trying to effec- the Javan and Sumatran do still have a chance," it ed through the rectal wall
dating app last year in a tively resurrect the northern rhinos, that have suffered said on its website. into the ovary is being de-
fundraising effort. white rhino have limited because of poaching and "The real fight for the sur- veloped, said Morne de
"Sudan has been technical- genetic material at their human encroachment on vival of northern white rhi- la Rey, director of Embryo
ly infertile for many years, disposal and plan to use habitats. Northern white nos in their natural habitat Plus.
so him dying is not going another subspecies, the rhinos were particularly was lost over a decade So far, "two cell and four
to affect the possibilities of southern white rhino, as a vulnerable because of ago," said Jo Shaw, African cell" embryos of southern
recovery for the northern surrogate mother. conflicts that swept their rhino expert with the WWF white rhinos, using eggs
white rhino as a species," Contributing institutions in- central African range; the conservation group. "Large taken from animals killed
Richard Vigne, the con- clude San Diego Zoo Glob- last ones in the wild were mammals, like rhinos, by poachers, were created
servancy's CEO, said in an al in the United States, the observed more than a de- should be seen as symbols in the lab but did not ma-
interview with The Associ- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and cade ago in Congo's Ga- of large functioning eco- ture enough for transfer to
ated Press. Wildlife Research in Berlin ramba National Park, a fre- systems and we must focus the womb, de la Rey said.
Semen from dead northern and Embryo Plus, a South quent target of well-armed our efforts and energy on The technique will only
white rhinos is stored in vari- African company that poachers. their protection and ongo- be tried with the northern
ous locations around the worked on the IVF-born The "much-hyped" plan for ing survival within these vi- white rhino subspecies if it
world, and it is critical to buffalo. Experts met in Vi- rhino in vitro fertilization is tal landscapes around the is successful with southern
keep the two females alive enna in December 2015 to probably too late to save globe." white rhinos, whose popu-
"until such time when the discuss stem cell and other the northern white subspe- The rhino Sudan, 45, is the lation recovered from the
protocol or technique for technologies with the goal cies, said Save the Rhino, a father of 27-year-old Na- edge of extinction around
in vitro fertilization has been of establishing viable popu- London-based group. jin, who has weak back the end of the 19th centu-
perfected so that we can lations of northern white rhi- "With small chance of legs and can't support ry but still faces an intense
begin that process," Vigne nos decades in the future. healthy new calves, and the weight of a pregnan- poaching threat.
said. Supporters think the work limited place in their historic cy, and grandfather of "It is literally a race against
In vitro fertilization is used in could be used to help oth- range to go, Save the Rhino 17-year-old Fatu, who can't time," de la Rey said.
the cattle industry to breed er endangered species, believes that the best out- carry an embryo because The last male northern
more robust herds, and a while some conservationists come will be to put our ef- of a uterus problem. white rhino was born in Su-
Cape buffalo was con- believe the focus should be forts and funding — includ- A non-surgical method dan, taken to a Czech zoo
and then transferred to Ke-
nya in 2009 along with Na-
jin, Fatu and another male
who died in 2014. Rangers
caring for Sudan describe
him as gentle and say they
are sad about his possibly
imminent death. "He is the
reason for me waking up,
knowing that I am going
to do something," ranger
James Mwenda said.q