最后一头雄性死亡！北方白犀牛滑向灭绝边缘|World's last male northern white rhino dies

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The world's last male northern white rhino died at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on Monday dashing hopes of a revival of the subspecies.

Sudan, 45, the white rhino was undergoing age-related treatment for the last few months. Keeping in view the worsening condition, veterinarian team from the Dvůr Králové Zoo, Ol Pejeta and Kenya Wildlife Service decided to euthanize him. 

With the death of Sudan, only two northern white rhinos—both female—have been left on this planet. Surviving white rhinos Najin and Fatu are descendents of Sudan. 

Experts are running against time to preserve the rhino subspecies through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) techniques using eggs from the two remaining females, stored northern white rhino semen samples from now-deceased males, and surrogate southern white rhino females. 

"We at Ol Pejeta are all saddened by Sudan's death. He was an amazing rhino, a great ambassador for his species, and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos," said Ol Pejeta Conservancy CEO Richard Vigne. 

The rhino population worldwide is witnessing a massive decline. Poachers are killing these pachyderms on a large scale for their horn. The consumer demand in China and Vietnam drives most of this demand in the past decade. 

South Africa has been witnessing brutal poaching of one rhino every three days. The country is losing more than 1,000 rhinos each year since 2013. Rhino horns are trafficked to China and Vietnam for use in purported health tonics and carvings. 

China banned ivory and rhino horn trade early this year to protect the endangered animals. According to WildAid, a wildlife conservation group, fewer than 30,000 wild rhinos are remaining among five species, including about 20,000 southern white rhinos mostly in South Africa; about 5,000 black rhinos in southern and eastern Africa; roughly 3,500 Indian one-horned rhinos in Nepal and India; fewer than 100 Sumatran rhinos and an estimated 60 Javan rhinos.

In early 2008, the northern white rhino was considered by most experts to be extinct in the wild. A year later, the last four northern white rhinos – two males and two females – were moved to Ol Pejeta from Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic. Experts felt that native habitat of the northern rhinos creates a favorable condition for breeding. 

The four were placed under 24-hour, armed surveillance, and fed a supplemented diet. Despite best efforts, rhinos failed to conceive. In early 2014, experts planned to introduce a male southern white rhino to the two female northern whites to breed a hybrid offspring. 

Tests later revealed that neither of the females was capable of natural reproduction. "We can only hope that the world learns from the sad loss of Sudan and takes every measure to end all trade in rhino horn. While prices of rhino horn are falling in China and Vietnam, poaching for horn still threatens all rhino species," said WildAid CEO Peter Knights.