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In a desperate effort to bring back the subspecies of northern white rhino to extinction, Berlin scientists managed to create the first tube rhinoceros embryo in the world, using the DNA of dead males.
Northern white female rhinos have remained in the world and both are unable to reproduce. The last male of the subspecies, Sudan, died in March.
The team of researchers is in a race against the clock to perfect its badisted reproduction techniques (ART). This first step towards success was achieved by injecting stored white rhinoceros sperm (NWR) – which has been collected from three males over the years – into southern white rhinoceros eggs – extracted from female rhinoceros in captivity.
In the first stage, scientists requested permission to take eggs from the last two NWRs, Najin and Fatu, currently protected in the Ol Pejeta Conservatory in Kenya. They hope to complete this procedure by the end of the year
Until then, the team will continue to refine its techniques and implant some of these now frozen embryos into rhinoceros mothers. southern whites – they will follow the same procedure. procedure for all NWR complete embryos in the future. Once the offspring is born, they will be introduced to Najin and Fatu to socialize and grow as part of a NWR herd.
"Our goal is to have in three years the first born NWR calf," said Thomas Hildebrandt, head of reproductive management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoological and Wildlife Research in Berlin. "It's a motivating aspect to succeed as quickly as possible so that the calf we produce can grow with Najin and Fatu."
Scientists and ecologists hope not only to save this subspecies of the species. extinction, but also release herds. the wild in the future.
None of this is without complications and extreme challenges. The procedure for taking eggs from Najin and Fatu will require them to undergo anesthesia – a risky and somewhat terrifying proposition, considering that they are the last two of this subspecies alive.
"We are very afraid that something unexpected will happen," says Hildebrandt
Najin and Fatu are both girls and granddaughters of Sudan, leaving only semen samples from two other males. means that any population produced using this limited genetic material will be highly consanguineous.The researchers are investigating increasingly innovative methods to improve genetic diversity, such as the use of unrelated white rhinoceros skin cells (already deceased) to manufacturing new sperm and eggs
In addition to all these challenges, stored spermatozoa are available.The technology developed during this process is still revolutionary and could pave the way for the safeguarding of other species highly threatened in the future.
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