Kenya: Vets to Breed Rhinos Artificially - Experts

James.Grage

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18 December 2014
Kenya: Vets to Breed Rhinos Artificially - Experts
By Kings Waweru
Artificial methods of reproduction could provide the last chance of survival for the world's most endangered mammal, the northern white rhino, veterinary experts have said.

Three of the world's last remaining five are in Kenya.

Following the death of the last fertile northern white male in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nanyuki, in October, experts from the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Germany and the Kenya Wildlife Service met in Laikipia to carry out health checks on the remaining three rhinos.

Dvur Kralove Zoo was home to Najin, Fatu, Suni and Sudan until 2009, when a decision was made to move them to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the hope that natural conditions would be more conducive to reproduction.

A statement sent to newsrooms by Ol Pejeta conservancy CEO Richard Vigne yesterday said various copulations between the northern whites have been witnessed by their keepers, and even a mating between a southern white male and one of the northern white females, but no reproduction has been witnessed. "It is clear that five years on, and with the sudden death of Suni, more drastic action will have to be taken if this species stands any chance of survival. Despite concerns over age and physical condition, the three rhinos were successfully anaesthetised. Examinations of the two females showed that neither is capable of natural reproduction," Vigne said.

The statement says the younger rhino, Fatu, has degenerative lesions in the uterus, but there is still hope that her mother, Najin, can conceive.
 
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I've also heard that the "Frozen Zoo" in San Diego has the genetic material from 12 animals so maybe we can clone using surrogate southern white moms.
 
So do they have frozen semen? Can they AI the females (artificially inseminate) and then flush the embryos and transplant into surrogate white rhino females? Done all the time in cattle but cattle are considerably more cooperative!

Otherwise they may be able to surgically harvest eggs and inseminate in a lab and subsequently implant the embryos. The technology exists, the challenge is to successfully apply it. Cloning technology exits as well.

I hope the funding and desire is there to put the best the World has to offer at this project to optimize the chances of success.
 

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