scrubbedexpat091

Not sure if anyone cares or follows animal news, but the San Diego Zoo lost it's Northern White Rhino today due to age related issues, she was 41 which is considered geriatric for this species.

This species is critically endangered and on the brink of extinction, there are currently 3 known animals living on the planet, 2 females and 1 male in Kenya which are kept under armed guards in a conservation park to protect them from poachers.

Researchers do plan to try and save the species with surrogate Southern White Rhino's acting as mothers for embryos of the Northern White Rhino.

The zoo's frozen zoo contains cells from 13 Northern White Rhinos.

Nola, one of four northern white rhinos left in world, dies at San Diego Zoo Safari Park - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

BEVS

I care.

Stinkypup

Sad news- as you say critically endangered- 3 left in the world- unfortunately therefore even more of a target to the evil people of the world. I hope that they truly guard them well- sometimes it might be good to move such critically endangered animals to an area where there is no security risk. Looking at it perhaps unrealistically optimistically, they could reintroduce successfully bred offspring. Ultimately whilst there are ivory poachers and rhino horn poachers, these beautiful creatures will be at critical risk. Very sad

scrubbedexpat091

There is an effort in Australia to bring some Rhinos from South Africa to Australia and try and establish a breeding herd there. They have regions of similar habitat but Australia is far safer then Africa is for the animals.

Rhino Conservation Australia - The Australian Rhino Project


They were able to turn around the Southern White Rhino which at one point was down to 100 animals, to now more then an estimated 17,000 animals, also making them the most abundant of all species.

In 1960 there was an estimated 2,000 animals, by 1970 the estimate was 500. By 1989 down to an estimated 15 animals, the mid 90's saw a rebound with an increase in population and by 2000 an estimated 30 animals were left, then poaching increased, and now in 15 years, we are down from 30 or so animals to just 3.

The San Diego Zoo is working on techniques to implant embryos of Northern White Rhino into Southern White Rhino's to act as surrogates, and the hope is sometime within the next 15 years, they will have a successful birth, but it's an uphill battle still as it's never been done, and is still a work in progress. The SD Zoo genetics department has I believe genetic material of 13 Northern White Rhinos.


The best way to resolve the poaching issue is to convince the biggest consumer of Rhino horns that there is no medicinal value in the horns and not to use them, there has been success in countries like So. Korea and Japan who were both at one point consumers of the horns, but are no longer consider a threat to the animals, Vietnam is the biggest consumer, followed by China to a lesser degree, appears the steps being taken are working in China.

Sad thing is the horn is just keratin, no medicinal value in them, but traditions are hard to break in some places.

Stinkypup

Just what I had in mind- sadly not yet the Northern white rhino presumably- Kenya would take some convincing although they are at greatest risk. A great project though

paw339

For some of the worlds most endangered species relocation to safe countries is often the best solution. The Père David's deer became extinct in China in 1900 during the boxer rebellion. The Duke of Bedford transported the few remaining deer from zoo's around the world to Woburn Abbey which saved the species, with all remaining Père David's deer being descended from that herd. Reintroduction to China occurred 85 years later in 1985.

scrubbedexpat091

From what I have read, it appears natural breeding for the Northern White is no longer possible due to the age of the male, he is producing sperm, but due to age has a low count, appears the goal now is to work on ways to use IVF and use Southern Whites as surrogates once a technique is developed.

The current male is in his early 40's, and this seems to be around the age most have been died from old age, so hopefully they have stored as much sperm as possible.

The remaining animals live on a 700 acre enclosure in a wild life preserve, and from what I can decipher the armed guards follow the animals around to keep them protected.

scrubbedexpat091

While they were not relocated to another country, the California condor was down to 22 animals in 1987 when they were all captured and placed into captivity. Between the San Diego Zoo, Los Angeles and the federal government the condor breeding program has been fairly successful, there are currently a total of approx 219 in the wild and 206 in captivity at the SD and LA zoo's, a zoo in Oregon and in Idaho.

First animals were re-released into the wild in 1991, and the first wild fledgling occurring in 2003 which was the first since 1981 to occur in the wild.

Stinkypup

And we saw them when we were travelling South on the Big Sur a couple of years ago. They are also in Zion NP though whilst we looked, we never found. Beautiful and massive birds

It sounds like the Northern white rhino's survival depends on technology- successful IVF and surrogacy will be the key- hard I enough in humans- rhinos probably way more tricky. Fingers crossed

Simon Legree

There is also a breeding program at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here are a few of them. The first"born in the wild" one came from this program in 2008. They are affectionately known as "Million dollar vultures on steroids".

Stinkypup

Great photo. The ones I saw were in flight, by the time I grabbed the camera and a reasonable lens they were high in the sky!