Sudan, world’s last male northern white rhino dies in Laikipia

Sudan, the last surviving male Nothern White rhino in the planet grazing at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. He was under 24 hour armed security. [File, Standard]

The world’s last male white rhino has died aged 45 at Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Laikipia County, leaving only two females to save the species from extinction.

Named Sudan, the rhino has been in poor health from age-related complications and extensive skin infections.

Ol Pajeta Conservancy on Tuesday, March 20 said they decided to euthanise him after the condition deteriorated extensively.

“His condition worsened significantly in the last 24 hours; he was unable to stand up and was suffering a great deal. The veterinary team from the Dv?r Králové Zoo, Ol Pejeta and Kenya Wildlife Service made the decision to euthanize him,” it said in a statement.

The 600 acres endangered species enclosure at Ol Pejeta Conservancy has been home to the three last northern white rhinos. Sudan, his daughter Najin and Fatu.

In 2009, the rhinos were transferred to the conservancy from Czech Republic but their colleague Suni, died in 2014 of natural causes.

The surviving trio has been under the watchful eyes of horn-imbedded transmitters, watchtowers, fences, drones, guard dogs, and trained armed guards.

“We on Ol Pejeta are all saddened by Sudan’s death. He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity. One day, his demise will hopefully be seen as a seminal moment for conservationists world wide,” said Richard Vigne, Ol Pejeta’s CEO.

 

It is with great sadness that Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Dv?r Králové Zoo announce that Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino, age 45, died at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on March 19th, 2018 (yesterday). #SudanForever #TheLoneBachelorGone #Only2Left pic.twitter.com/1ncvmjZTy1

— Ol Pejeta (@OlPejeta) March 20, 2018

Previously, the northern white rhinos were found in parts of Uganda, Chad, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo but widespread poaching and civil war led to the drastic decline in numbers.

Ol pejeta Conservancy rhino caregiver Zachary Mutai describes the beasts as his best friends. [File, Standard]

Scientists mull IVF

Scientists estimate the life span of a rhino to between 40 and 50 years. At 45, Sudan was elderly by their standards and hit by low sperm count.

His daughter Najin is 27 and could neither bear the weight of a mounting rhino nor that of pregnancy as it has weak knees. 17-year-old Fatu too has weak knees and a uterine disorder that could not allow an embryo to be implanted successfully.

Before Sudan’s death, a consortium of scientists from across the world have been mulling use In Vitro fertilization (IVF) as the last resort to saving the species from extinction.

The scientists are planning to extract eggs from the two female northern whites and by using advanced reproductive techniques, including stem cell technology and IVF and create embryos that could be carried to term by surrogate rhino mothers.

The procedure, a first in the world, was to be tested on southern white rhinos before the white rhinos were involved.