January 25th 2024.
The white rhinoceros is in serious danger, and the blame falls solely on humans. Sadly, there are only two northern white rhinos left on the entire planet, a dire situation caused by human actions. But there may be a glimmer of hope for these magnificent creatures. Scientists have made a breakthrough in fertility treatment that could potentially save them from extinction.
For the first time, researchers have successfully achieved rhino IVF by transferring a lab-created embryo into a surrogate mother. This is a crucial step in the effort to save the species, as the two remaining northern white rhinos, Najin and her daughter Fatu, are both unable to reproduce. The last male northern white rhino, Sudan, passed away in 2018. However, there is still a chance for the species, as 30 northern white rhino embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen in Europe, waiting for the right moment when the technique is perfected. These embryos were created using eggs from Fatu and sperm from two male northern white rhinos before they died.
The recent successful IVF procedure was performed on a closely related subspecies, the southern white rhino. "To achieve the first successful embryo transfer in a rhino is a huge step," said Dr. Susanne Holtze, a scientist at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Germany. This organization is part of the Biorescue project, an international consortium that conducted the trial. Dr. Holtze expressed confidence that this achievement will pave the way for creating northern white rhinos in the same manner and ultimately save the species.
However, there are still challenges to overcome, such as implanting the embryo from one subspecies into another. But the team is optimistic that this can be achieved. "I think the situation for the northern white rhino is quite favorable for the embryo transfer because we have a closely related recipient – so their internal map is nearly the same," said Professor Thomas Hildebrandt, project head for the Biorescue Consortium.
The process of rhino IVF is complex and not without its obstacles. Aside from the uncertainties of a cross-species pregnancy, there are also physical challenges to consider. "It's very challenging in such a big animal, in terms of placing an embryo inside the reproductive tract, which is almost two meters inside the animal," explained Dr. Holtze. The team faced 13 attempts before finally achieving a successful pregnancy, which was an international effort involving an egg from a female in a Belgian zoo, sperm from a male rhino in Australia, and a surrogate mother in Kenya.
Unfortunately, the pregnancy did not result in a live calf. A mudslide hit the rhino's enclosure, bringing with it a deadly bacteria that caused the loss of the pregnancy. However, a post-mortem revealed that the pregnancy was progressing perfectly, with a 95% chance of a live birth. This outcome showed that the procedure was successful and gave hope for the future of the endangered northern white rhino.
It's a race against time to save this species that has been around for 26 million years and has few natural predators. Poaching for their ivory horns has led to the complete extinction of the northern white rhino in the wild. Najin and Fatu, the last two remaining northern white rhinos, are now under close watch at the Ol-Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.
Some argue that the resources used to revive a species that is almost extinct could be better allocated to protecting those with a higher chance of survival. However, the team behind the project believes that they have a responsibility to use the available technology to try and save the northern white rhino. "Behind the extinction of the northern white rhino is man. It's not because of some evolutionary pressure, it was greed, it was the consumption of a rhino horn," said BioRescue's Jan Stejskal. "So, in a way, we are responsible and if we actually have a technique that can assist us to save them, then I think we have a responsibility to use it and to try to save them."
In related news, zoos have reported that the ongoing Brexit situation has affected the sex life of endangered rhinos and big cats. However, there is also hope as a critically endangered black rhino calf was recently born at a UK zoo. Sadly, a rare black rhino died during a 7,000-mile journey from the UK to Tanzania. The fight to save these precious creatures continues, and the success of rhino IVF offers a glimmer of hope for their future.
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