Just two northern white rhinos remain. The species’ first IVF pregnancy could save them from extinction.
The first successful embryo transfer in a southern white rhino paves way for using technique to save rarer northern cousins.
The critically endangered northern white rhino could be saved from the brink of extinction after scientists performed the first successful embryo transfer in white rhinos.

After the last male northern white rhino, Sudan, died in 2018, the disappearance of the species looked imminent. Just two infertile female northern white rhinos – Fatu and Najin – remain, and are under 24-hour armed protection at a conservation reservation in Kenya. But a new scientific advancement means the mother and daughter may not be the last of their kind.

An international team of researchers from BioRescue – a consortium, backed by the German government, which aims to halt extinctions – has performed the first successful embryo transfers in southern white rhinos, paving the way for the technique to be used for their rarer northern counterparts.

In September 2023, scientists transferred two southern white rhino embryos into surrogates at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, resulting in a successful pregnancy. While commonly used in humans, horses and cows, the method had never been used in rhinos before.

A rhino embryo in the palm of a hand wearing a surgical glove
The first successful white rhino embryo transfer. Sadly, the father and pregnant mother died after contracting an unrelated bacterial infection. Photograph: JonJuarez/BioRescue
The father and the pregnant mother died after contracting a rare, unrelated bacterial infection when the foetus was 70 days old, but researchers said the pregnancy was proof that the technique can work.

Thomas Hildebrandt, the BioRescue project head and a professor at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, said the technique was a key step in saving the northern white rhino.

“This little baby is the proof of everything,” he told the Guardian. “The sperm injection, the fertilisation, the liquid nitrogen, the thawing – this was never done before for rhinos. All of it could have failed.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/24/just-two-northern-white-rhinos-remain-an-ivf-breakthrough-could-save-them-from-extinction-aoe

Chaii

Albino Rhinos.

Just saw dis news on al jazeera news network, i feel scientist are not appreciated enough. This is some big break through.

World of technologies, waiting patiently to see what becomes the outcome. Left to us as an African, E no concern us if them finish as far say na pepper soup 🍲 them follow 😅😅😅

chris4gold:
World of technologies, waiting patiently to see what becomes the outcome. Left to us as an African, E no concern us if them finish as far say na pepper soup 🍲 them follow 😅😅😅

If you want Nigerians to get involved then try chop the part that is meant for the eldest person or do mistake carry the liver give woman.

I'm pretty sure this same animals are somewhere else..
Just waiting to be found

Tallesty1:
If you want Nigerians to get involved then try chop the part that is meant for the eldest person or do mistake carry the liver give woman.

In my setting, you go chop summon tire from family elders to kindred elders to the village elders/elders of the land/counsel elders then maybe finally to the eyes of the gods/ancestors of the land to the fourth generations past ;

I hope its not mama and pikin that they are combining for pregnancy

nairamaniac:
Albino Rhinos.

The last Albino-rhino-gyno left in the world

Science is crazy

This is why science will always win over religions

This are grey not white. Don't call black, white for me all these oyinbo people

China no dey carry last

Just two infertile female northern white rhinos – Fatu and Najin – remain, and are under 24-hour armed protection at a conservation reservation in Kenya

Thank God it is not in our darling nation,
Dem for don chop dem patapata extinct dem finish.

Anything, na to put inside mouth

Africans for chop them finish if oyibo no protect them.

Extinction is real

finallybusy:
Africans for chop them finish if oyibo no protect them.

so oyinbo don't kill animals, you stink of so much inferiority complex. I won't be surprised if you are a Christian or Muslim. Always worshiping colonials through jesus and mohammed

Beverlyjean:
I hope its not mama and pikin that they are combining for pregnancy

Hence everybody don dey craze for this world 😂 I love your reply 😂😂😂😂
Animals that God has given us dominion over 😂

I thought it only remained just one
The challenge is how to successfully get them pregnant
And secondly for the pregnant mother to carry the pregnancy and deliver
Even such a breakthrough would be beneficial to humans itself if you remain the effect of artificial legs

China 🇨🇳

Beverlyjean:
I hope its not mama and pikin that they are combining for pregnancy

Don't worry the calf will never know how it came into existence.