Northern White Rhino IVF Breakthrough: A Last Hope for Extinction

About the episode

Only two animals of the northern white rhino still exist. Two females in Kenya who are guarded 24 hours a day. Both of them can no longer have young and so the end is in sight for this species.

Yet there is still some hope. In the form of 30 embryos. If we can get another rhino species to act as a surrogate mother, it may not be too late.

This plan is not easy. But a successful first embryo transplant into a southern white rhino now shows that it should not be impossible.

The transfer of the embryos took place in September last year. The embryos came from a southern white rhinoceros and were placed with surrogate mothers of the same species. Resulting in a successful pregnancy.

Unfortunately, both the father and the pregnant mother died of a bacterial infection that had nothing to do with the procedure. The baby the mother was carrying was 70 days old at the time. That is only a very small part of the total gestation period, which lasts 16 months. Yet, according to the researchers, the tiny animal is proof that it should be possible.

It is true that the remaining embryos of the northern white rhino are made from the eggs of one female and two males. This means that even if several young animals are born, there is not enough genetic variation to start a healthy population. Researchers hope to solve this in the future with genetic adjustments, including using genetic material from the animal from museums.

But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. First see whether an IVF pregnancy is successful at all. The first attempt will be made in May or June of this year.

Read more here: Just two northern white rhinos remain. The species’ first IVF pregnancy could save them from extinction

2024-01-28 10:01:35
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