Test tube embryos of white male rhino created to stop extinction

With the death of the last northern white male rhino, experts believed these creatures would go instinct. Howevert, thanks to technology, researchers have created the first lab-made male rhino, with the aim to save the animal from extinction.

The world’s last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, died back in March and left two infertile female species behind. While experts lost hope, technology helped them regain it by producing first-ever test tube-produced white male rhino embryos, in an effort to save them from extinction.

Researchers gathered eggs from southern white rhino females through a novel egg extraction device and then fertilized them using the sperm from dead northern white male rhinos, crafting viable embryos with the perfect DNA to continue the species.

Last white male rhino’s death a wake-up call to save animals from extinction

The embryos are now frozen and have a high chance to establish pregnancy once they are implanted into a surrogate mother. The team now plans to use the same method for gathering eggs from the last two northern white female rhinos left, Najin and Fatu, Sudan’s daughter and granddaughter, by this year’s end, explained Phys.org.

“Our goal is to have in three years the first northern white rhino calf born. Taking into account 16 months [of] pregnancy, we have a little more than a year to have a successful implantation,” informed Thomas Hildebrandt, head of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.

By fertilizing the sperm and implanting the embryos in a surrogate mother, the team is positive to produce a new, fledging northern white rhino population. However, though the researchers will test their technique, the process comes in with risks.

“We have to do a full anesthesia, the animal is down for two hours, and it is quite a risky situation for the last two of their kind. We are highly afraid something unexpected would happen, that would be a nightmare,” said Hildebrandt.

Yet, there is also hope that the stem cell technology can produce more eggs and sperm from the skin cells of 12 dead unrelated northern whites for an increase in supply and also a genetic variety.