{"id":822,"date":"2024-07-03T18:36:22","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T18:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dimensionfx.net\/?p=822"},"modified":"2024-08-28T11:25:38","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T11:25:38","slug":"reviving-the-northern-white-rhino-an-african-safari-with-conservation-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dimensionfx.net\/index.php\/2024\/07\/03\/reviving-the-northern-white-rhino-an-african-safari-with-conservation-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviving the Northern White Rhino: An African Safari with Conservation Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Northern<\/p>\n

Northern white rhinos Najin and Fatu \u00a9 Ol Pejeta Conservancy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The last two living northern white rhinos in the world, females named Najin and Fatu, live under armed guard at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya<\/a>. They are the final survivors of a subspecies driven to the brink of extinction due primarily to what WWF refers to as\u00a0<\/span>rampant poaching for rhino horn<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, scientists and conservationists have not stopped efforts to revive northern white rhinos.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the contrary, on April 9, 2024,\u00a0<\/span>New Scientist published an article<\/span><\/a>\u00a0about scientists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance\u00a0<\/span>who are<\/span>\u00a0using frozen skin cells from 12 northern white rhinos\u00a0<\/span>to potentially save the subspecies from extinction<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is enough genetic material to generate sperm and egg cells from these skin cells, which\u00a0<\/span>could\u00a0<\/span>then<\/span>\u00a0be turned<\/span>\u00a0into embryos.\u00a0<\/span>The embryos could be carried by closely related southern white rhino females.<\/span>\u00a0A simulated model suggests that this could result in a healthy, genetically diverse population of northern white rhinos within ten generations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can conservationists revive the northern white rhino when only two living individuals remain?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"2000-4000<\/p>\n

2000-4000 year-old rock painting of a rhino, Spikzkoppe, Namibia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Rhinoceros from Prehistoric to Present<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rhinos are some of the most unique herbivores on the planet, with their story dating back around 50 million years. Their predecessors first appeared shortly after the dinosaurs and long before humans. Prehistoric rhinos also walked the Earth long before elephants, meaning they were once the largest land mammals\u00a0<\/span>on the planet<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rhinos belong to a group of animals called perissodactyls, or odd-toed ungulates,\u00a0<\/span>which also include<\/span> horses, zebras and tapirs. Rhinos as we know them today first appeared in the fossil record about 40 million years ago. Their ancestors emerged in what is now known as India.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, rhinos are the world’s second-largest land mammal, after elephants, and can weigh more than two tons. They are also among the oldest mammals on Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"indigenous<\/p>\n

Rock painting by the Indigenous San people depicting rhinos, Drakensberg mountains, South Africa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Yet this mighty, enduring beast is threatened with extinction as poaching has decimated its numbers in the past century.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that for World Rhino Day on September 22, 2023, African authorities estimated that there were 23,290 rhinos across the continent at the end of 2022, 5.2% more than in 2021. Poaching continues though, with at least 561 rhinos illegally killed across the continent during 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

The IUCN Species Survival Commission\u2019s African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) reported that there are now an estimated 16,803 white rhinos\u2014<\/span>marking the first increase for the species in over a decade. All but two\u2014<\/span>Najin and Fatu\u2014<\/span>are southern white rhinos<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to WWF, the overwhelming majority (98.8%) of\u00a0<\/span>the southern white rhinos<\/span> occur in just four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. southern white rhinos were thought to be extinct in the late 19th century, but in 1895 a small population of fewer than 100 individuals was discovered in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> southern white rhino<\/a> population has rebounded from as few as 50 individuals in the early 20th century and is now relatively strong<\/span>, thanks to conservation efforts<\/span>. After more than a century of protection and management, they are now classified as Near Threatened. Most live in protected areas and private game reserves<\/span>. This is<\/span>\u00a0proof that conservation can revive species.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Could science save the northern white rhino now?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

Close-up of horn and head of white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya \u00a9 Anup Shah, WWF<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Plight of the Northern White Rhino<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

As recently as the 1960s, northern white rhinoceroses were even more abundant than their s<\/span>outhern white<\/span>\u00a0counterparts, with over 2,000 rhinos\u00a0<\/span>ranging<\/span>\u00a0in the wild.<\/span><\/p>\n

The northern white rhino once roamed over parts of northwestern Uganda, southern South Sudan, the eastern part of the Central African Republic, and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.\u00a0<\/span>Their range\u00a0<\/span>possibly<\/span>\u00a0extended as far west as Lake Chad into Chad and Cameroon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, rampant poaching led to a drastic decline in their numbers. Within a decade, the number of northern white rhinos dropped to just 700, and by 1984, only 15 individuals had remained in the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Intervention by conservationists\u00a0<\/span>brought the numbers up<\/span>\u00a0to around 30, but an outbreak of civil war once again led to a significant decline in their numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the subspecies is functionally extinct. The story of the northern white rhino is a reminder of the devastating impact of human activities on wildlife and the urgent need for innovative conservation efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This memorial at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy honors the lives of all the Ol Pejeta rhinos that have been killed in the poaching epidemic. The marker stones stand underneath a tree; a stark reminder of the devastation of the illegal wildlife trade, but also an inspiration for those who visit to continue supporting rhino conservation. \u00a9 Ray in Manila, flickr<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Conservation Science and Species Survival<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Groundbreaking efforts are being made to save the northern white rhino from extinction, pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible in wildlife conservation. The story of the northern white rhino\u00a0<\/span>is now intertwined<\/span>\u00a0with cutting-edge science and a global commitment to biodiversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are<\/span>\u00a0several innovative conservation efforts underway to save the northern white rhino from extinction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists are\u00a0<\/span>working on techniques to create<\/span>\u00a0new northern white rhino embryos.<\/span>\u00a0This involves harvesting viable eggs from the remaining females, Najin and Fatu, and fertilizing them with sperm previously collected from male northern white rhinos.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since December 2019, scientists have successfully extracted immature egg cells from northern white rhinos Najin and Fatu in Kenya\u2019s Ol Pejeta Conservancy. This process led to 29 viable embryos, all\u00a0<\/span>of which\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span>\u00a0stored<\/span>\u00a0in liquid nitrogen at a laboratory in Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither Najin nor Fatu can carry a pregnancy, so the fertilized embryos will\u00a0<\/span>be implanted<\/span> into a surrogate southern white r<\/span>hino.<\/span><\/p>\n

This process, in addition to the scientific advances in San Diego, could mark not\u00a0<\/span>just<\/span>\u00a0the fight to save the northern white rhino<\/span>, but<\/span>\u00a0an advancement for conservation of other species\u00a0<\/span>as well<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WWF highlights that\u00a0<\/span>the protection of<\/span>\u00a0rhinos helps protect other species, too. Rhinos contribute to economic growth and sustainable development through the tourism industry, which creates job opportunities and provides tangible benefits to local communities\u00a0<\/span>living alongside rhinos.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Natural<\/p>\n

Nat Hab Expedition Leader Paul Kirui (right) with Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino \u00a9 Paul Kirui<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Role of African Safaris in Conservation<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Safaris, particularly those focused on rhinos,\u00a0<\/span>play a significant role<\/span>\u00a0in conservation efforts. Here\u2019s how they contribute:<\/span><\/p>\n