One of the last two northern white rhinos to be withdrawn from the breeding program

One of the last two northern white rhino species has been withdrawn from a breeding program to save the species from extinction.

Scientists decided to stop harvesting eggs from the 32-year-old survivor after an “ethical risk assessment” that took into account her age, health and other factors.

Another living white rhino is Nagen’s 21-year-old daughter Fatu. She is unable to continue the pregnancy due to a condition in her womb. The last such male died in 2018, but his sperm were collected and used to fertilize eggs.

fetus

Since 2019, eighty eggs have been released from Najin and Fati. So far, twelve embryos have been produced from the sperm of two deceased males. Scientists hope to transplant these embryos into specially selected surrogate mothers from a population of southern white rhinos.

“Removing an animal from a conservation program because of animal welfare concerns is not usually a long-term problem,” said veterinarian Frank Goerlitz of the Department of Veterinary Medicine Frank Goerlitz. “But when that one animal makes up 50 percent of the total population, you think about that decision multiple times. “. BioRescue, the leading scientific research company. In addition to her advanced age, an ultrasound showed several small tumors in Negin’s uterus and a cyst on her ovary.

You will continue to be part of the programme. According to BioRescue, her tissue samples could be useful for stem cell research, and they hope she will “be able to pass on her social knowledge and behavior to her future offspring,” if they come by introducing embryos into other female rhinos.