The northern white rhinoceros is almost extinct. But there is still hope: German researchers could use a complex procedure to help save the subspecies. But the way is long.
Nairobi – With an elaborate procedure, German scientists in an international consortium want to save the rare northern white rhinoceros from extinction.
Under the direction of Thomas Hildebrandt from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, veterinarians removed egg cells from one of the last remaining animals in a Kenyan wildlife park, which were then fertilized in a laboratory in Italy with the sperm of deceased males. So far, twelve embryos of the rhinoceros subspecies have been created, as announced by the BioRescue consortium.
The sperm of a male animal that died in a safari park in San Diego in 2014 was used for fertilization. Hildebrandt and his team secured it in 2001 and 2005. In a three to four month cycle, they want to create more embryos from egg cells that were taken from a still living northern white rhinoceros female.
“Once the surrogate mothers have been relocated, a successful embryo transfer is the next important step that the BioRescue team is striving for,” the statement said. Females of the southern white rhinoceros are said to carry the embryos. The work is considered unique in the world. The northern white rhinoceros are believed to be extinct apart from two females in the Kenyan reserve Ol Pejeta. dpa
