Sudan: World's last male Northern White rhino dies
Nairobi, Mar 20 (IBNS): Sudan, the world's last male Northern White rhinoceros has died on Monday in Kenya, aged 45, reports said.
His death has been mourned by environmentalists, who now fear that Sudan's departure has forced his species a step closer to complete extinction.
According to a statement released by the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Sudan was euthanised as he was no longer able to stand up.
At just two years old, Sudan was captured in Sudan in 1975 and move to Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic.
Later, as the zoo succumbed to financial troubles, he was relocated in 2009 to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in Laikipia County, Kenya,along with two northern white rhino females named Najin and Fatu.
According to Dr. Steve Ngulu, the veterinarian who was in charge of Sudan, his death was a testament to human failure.
"But then, as far as their propagation is concerned, we are happy that at least we collected some sperm from him and the other males," National Public Radio quoted him as saying.
The doctor said that they will try ovum pick-up, collect eggs from the females, as neither natural reproduction nor artificial insemination is possible because among the two females, one is sterile and the other is not physically capable of carrying a calf full term.
"So, natural reproduction cannot take place, artificial insemination is not possible, so the only other option that we have to have a pure northern white rhino baby is to retrieve or to do something we call ovum pick-up, collect eggs from the females," he said.
The fertilised eggs would then be transferred into a southern white rhino, who would complete the gestation term.
However, ovum pick-up from a rhino has never been done before and could potentially kill the females, thereby causing extinction.
Image: twitter.com/OlPejeta
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