Image Via: <a href="http://www.olpejetaconservancy.org/"> Ol Pejeta Conservancy</a>
The writing was always on the wall, what with only one male and two female Northern White Rhinos existing in the world. And the worst happened.
The only surviving 45-year-old male Northern White Rhino, named Sudan, is no more. This last of the male species had to be put down as he suffered from a grave illness due to infection, leaving only the two females of the same species behind. His age-related complications left the vets with no choice but to euthanize him to shorten his suffering.
Sudan had been brought to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County, Kenya, where the last two surviving females, named Najin and Fatu, were being kept. The aim was to get these females impregnated by Sudan, but all attempts failed, as the females were incapable of pregnancy.
It is only a matter of time when these two females die and the species of Northern White Rhino will cease to exist on the Planet Earth. However, one ray of hope is the advancements in vitro fertilization (IVF) that may enable Sudan’s preserved sperms to impregnate the two surviving females in the future.
To make this happen, Sudan’s account was created on Tinder, the dating app. This was aimed at funding IVF for rhinos in the hope that someday a breakthrough will be achieved in IVF techniques that will enable the scientists to rescue this species.
It was only in 1960 that this species numbered over 2,000. But, rampant poaching reduced their number to 15 by 1984, bringing this species to the brink of extinction.
Sudan’s passing has devastated his fans all across the world. They only wait for some kind of miracle to happen in the field of IVF to resurrect him in the form of his progeny.
RIP Sudan
