Scientists step up bid to save white rhinos after Sudan's death

Sudan, the last surviving male Nothern White Rhino in the planet grazing at Ol Pejeta National Reserve. [Photo: Standard]

A group of scientists are planning to save northern white rhinos from extinction through advanced reproductive techniques.

This will include stem cell technology and In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), giving a glimmer of hope for the survival of the sub-species following the death of the last male nicknamed Sudan.

The rhino died at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County on Monday aged 45 years.

Sudan left behind two females - his daughter Najin and granddaughter Fatu - painting a bleak future for northern white rhinos.

Sudan was elderly by rhino standards and had a low sperm count. Najin, 27, has weak knees meaning she can neither bear the weight of a mounting male nor a pregnancy. Fatu is 17 and also has weak knees as well as a uterine disorder that cannot allow for an embryo to be implanted successfully.

Yesterday, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Dv?r Králové Zoo of the Czech Republic, which hosted the white rhino sub-species before they were translocated to Kenya, eulogised Sudan, saying attempts to save the sub-species were underway.

Genetic material

“Additionally, his genetic material was collected yesterday and provides a hope for future attempts at reproduction of northern white rhinos through advanced cellular technologies. During his final years, Sudan came back to Africa and stole the hearts of many with his dignity and strength,” the press statement read.

The four rhinos, two females and two males, were transferred in December 2009 to Ol Pejeta, one of the largest black rhino sanctuaries in East Africa, from the Czech Republic in hopes that they would be able to reproduce in a natural habitat given the favourable climate.

But Suni, one of the northern white male rhinos, died of natural causes, leaving the other three. Sudan was the only male tasked to carry the mantle for continuation of the white rhino generation.

“When Suni died, Sudan was left as the only male. However, natural reproduction has not been fruitful especially given the conditions of each rhino,” Zachary Mutai told The Standard at the conservancy in an earlier interview.

The demand and extensive use of rhino horn as traditional medicine in China, and more recently as a luxury cure for hangovers and other ailments in Vietnam, triggered a widespread rise in poaching, bringing about a sharp decline in rhino numbers.

A rhino horn is worth more than its weight in gold or diamonds, and for some people, money is worth more than life. Because of this, rhino populations continue to decline.

The scientists are planning to extract eggs from the two female northern white rhinos and, although the procedure is the world’s first, researchers plan to test the procedure on southern white rhinos.

Used IVF

Although no one has ever successfully used IVF on any rhino species, scientists hope this will be the solution to saving the northern white rhino species.

The procedure requires specific conditions to mimic the uterine environment, and is estimated to take a lot of time as well as funding to get results.

According to Samuel Mutisya, Ol Pejeta Conservancy head of wildlife, the process of removing eggs from Najin and Fatu will kick off in May.

“We expect the process to begin from May this year and we hope it will be successful,” Mr Mutisya said.

Other candidates from the southern white species have been securely confined in the endangered species enclosure awaiting the procedure that is expected to draw global attention.

The procedure is expected to succeed if it overcomes challenging age factor and fertility issues.

Mutisya added that semen from male northern white rhinos that existed before, including Sudan’s, are being preserved in special laboratories in Italy.

The semen will be used to create embryos that could be carried by surrogate rhino mothers.

Remaining procedure

“The semen has long been collected from other northern white rhinos before they died and the remaining procedure is to extract the eggs from the females and implant them in a surrogate southern white mother who will carry the pregnancy to full term,” said Mr Mutai, a rhino caregiver at the conservancy.

The procedure of collecting eggs, he said, was unique and they would be flown within 24 hours to the labs in Italy.

Although the scientists are hopeful of a breakthrough, challenges are still expected.

Cesare Galli, one of the leading scientists at Bologna University, said getting eggs from female rhinos was an uphill task and this could force them to think of a different approach.

“It is not an easy task getting eggs from female rhinos and we may find we simply do not have enough viable eggs to create embryos in the numbers we want. If that turns out to be the case, we will have to take a different approach,” Prof Galli said in an interview.

He added that the health problems faced by the two females at Ol Pejeta could affect the project’s progress.

Scientists would take cells from frozen rhino tissue and reprogramme them into stem cells that could then be turned into sperms and eggs.

Surrogate mothers

Northern white rhino embryos could then be created from these. The embryos would then be allowed to gestate in their southern white surrogate mothers.

The procedure is expected to bring the northern white rhino back from extinction, scientists say.

Sudan significantly contributed to the survival of his species when he sired two females - Najin and Fatu.

Sudan succumbed to age-related complications that led to degenerative changes in his muscles, bones and skin.