Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 21 March 2018
World's last male northern white rhino, Sudan, dies

By TOM ODULA take decades.
Associated Press Sudan's death "is a cruel
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The symbol of human disregard
death of the world's last for nature and it saddened
male northern white rhino, everyone who knew him.
Sudan, doesn't end efforts But we should not give up,"
to save a subspecies of Stejskal said. "It may sound
one of the world's most rec- unbelievable, but thanks to
ognizable animals. The fo- the newly developed tech-
cus now turns to his stored niques even Sudan could
semen and that of four still have another offspring."
other dead rhinos, as well Sudan was the last of his
as the perfection of in vitro kind to be born in the wild,
fertilization techniques and in the country that is his
the critical need to keep namesake. He was taken
the remaining two females to the Czech zoo and then
alive. transferred to Kenya in
Whatever happens, con- 2009, along with the only
servationists hope the les- other remaining northern
sons learned in the en- white rhinos, the two fe-
deavor can be applied to males and a male who
other critically endangered died in 2014.
species. They were placed under
The 45-year-old Sudan, who 24-hour armed guard and
won widespread affection fed a special diet. "How-
last year with his listing as ever, despite the fact that
"The Most Eligible Bachelor they were seen mating,
in the World" on the Tinder there were no successful
dating app in a fundraising pregnancies," the conser-
effort, was euthanized on In this Wednesday, May 3, 2017, file photo, Sudan, the world's last male northern white rhino, is vancy said.
Monday after "age-related photographed at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia county in Kenya. Rangers caring for Sudan
complications," research- Associated Press described him as gentle
ers said Tuesday. and, as his condition wors-
In his death, the world saw to him," chief conservation ropean zoos, Stejskal said. slim "we believe that giv- ened in recent weeks, ex-
the shadow of extinction officer Samuel Mutisya told The genetic material would ing up is not an option," the pressed sadness over his
approach before their The Associated Press. have to be transferred to a veterinarian at the Kenya imminent death.
eyes. "Utter tragedy to- Sudan had been central lab in Italy that he said was conservancy, Dr. Stephen Some groups, including
day," British Foreign Secre- to the ambitious effort to the only place where em- Ngulu, told the AP. London-based Save the
tary Boris Johnson tweeted. save the subspecies from bryos of northern white rhi- Teams in Europe and the Rhino, have said in vitro fer-
"We can't just sit back and extinction after decades of nos can be created. United States also have tilization is probably too late
watch more species disap- decimation by poachers, Creating embryos has been working for years on to save the northern white
pear." along with the two surviving been tried only on south- the possibility of using stem rhino, whose natural habi-
The rhino "stole the heart females. One is his 27-year- ern white rhinos and it isn't cell technologies to create tat in Chad, Sudan, Ugan-
of many with his dignity old offspring, Najin, and the guaranteed the procedure an embryo, but that route da, Congo and Central
and strength," said the Ol other is her 17-year-old off- will work on northern white would take years longer. African Republic has been
Pejeta Conservancy in Ke- spring, Fatu. rhinos, Stejskal added. Sudan ended up being ravaged by conflicts in the
nya, where Sudan lived. It is now just a matter of "It would be a miracle to part of that work as well. region. They say the efforts
It said his condition had months before eggs are succeed on the first try," "His genetic material was should focus on other criti-
"worsened significantly," extracted from the two fe- he said. "Chances are we collected yesterday and cally endangered species
to the point where he was males, said Jan Stejskal, di- won't succeed and will provides a hope for future with a better chance at
no longer able to stand. rector of international proj- have to travel to Africa for attempts at reproduction survival. Other rhinos, the
His muscles and bones had ects at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the eggs in several months of northern white rhinos southern white rhino and
degenerated and his skin the Czech Republic, where again." through advanced cellular another species, the black
had extensive wounds, in- Sudan lived before coming If the procedure is eventu- technologies," the Kenya rhino, are under heavy
cluding a deep infection to Kenya. ally successful, scientists will conservancy said. pressure from poachers
on his back right leg. Scientists have developed use southern white rhinos The ultimate goal is to cre- who kill them for their horns
Euthanasia was "the best a technique to extract the in Kenya and in European ate a herd of five to 15 to supply illegal markets
option, given the quality of eggs, using females from zoos as surrogate mothers. animals that would be re- in parts of Asia. Roughly
his life had deteriorated to the similar southern white While chances of success turned to their natural habi- 20,000 southern white rhi-
a point where it was unfair rhino subspecies from Eu- with in vitro fertilization are tat in Africa. That could nos remain in Africa.q