The world's last male Northern White Rhinoceros has died
March 20, 2018
March 20, 2018
Sudan, the world's last male Northern White Rhinoceros
The last male northern white rhino in the world has died.
Sudan the rhino was euthanised on Monday after suffering "age-related health issues" and a series of infections, said the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where he lived.
He was 45 — the human equivalent of 90 years old — and had been too weak to stand toward the end of his life.
A photo of Sudan, tweeted by biologist Daniel Schneider to show "what extinction looks like," went viral last November. It depicted Sudan lying on his ground with his eyes downcast.
"Want to know what extinction looks like? This is the last male Northern White Rhino," Schneider tweeted. "The Last. Nevermore."
Sudan, who was born in 1973, had been the only male northern white rhino left in the world. He lived at Ol Pejeta with his daughter Najin and granddaughter Fatu, who are now the two known remaining members of their species.
After the death of two northern white rhinos in the Czech Republic and San Diego in 2015, the trio became the last of their kind in the world.
Conservationists had been trying to find new ways, including IVF and stem cell technology, to preserve the lineage. Northern white rhinos usually live up to 40 years, the World Wide Fund said, meaning Sudan had already lived past his expected life cycle.
The decline of the northern white rhino, which used to roam central Africa, is due to poaching and various civil wars in the region, Ol Pejeta said. The conservancy currently has armed security guards to watch over the three rhinos at all times.
Ol Pejeta said in its statement on Tuesday: "It is desperately sad to witness the manifestation of human greed in the wiping out of these majestic animals. How many more species that we share this earth with will fall the same way before we understand the enormity of what we are doing?"
Sudan found fame early last year as conservationists created a Tinder profile for him.
"I don't mean to be too forward, but the fate of my species literally depends on me," his dating app profile said. Users who swiped right were directed to a website where they could donate to Ol Pejeta.
Sudan the rhino was euthanised on Monday after suffering "age-related health issues" and a series of infections, said the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where he lived.
He was 45 — the human equivalent of 90 years old — and had been too weak to stand toward the end of his life.
A photo of Sudan, tweeted by biologist Daniel Schneider to show "what extinction looks like," went viral last November. It depicted Sudan lying on his ground with his eyes downcast.
"Want to know what extinction looks like? This is the last male Northern White Rhino," Schneider tweeted. "The Last. Nevermore."
Sudan, who was born in 1973, had been the only male northern white rhino left in the world. He lived at Ol Pejeta with his daughter Najin and granddaughter Fatu, who are now the two known remaining members of their species.
After the death of two northern white rhinos in the Czech Republic and San Diego in 2015, the trio became the last of their kind in the world.
Conservationists had been trying to find new ways, including IVF and stem cell technology, to preserve the lineage. Northern white rhinos usually live up to 40 years, the World Wide Fund said, meaning Sudan had already lived past his expected life cycle.
The decline of the northern white rhino, which used to roam central Africa, is due to poaching and various civil wars in the region, Ol Pejeta said. The conservancy currently has armed security guards to watch over the three rhinos at all times.
Ol Pejeta said in its statement on Tuesday: "It is desperately sad to witness the manifestation of human greed in the wiping out of these majestic animals. How many more species that we share this earth with will fall the same way before we understand the enormity of what we are doing?"
Sudan found fame early last year as conservationists created a Tinder profile for him.
"I don't mean to be too forward, but the fate of my species literally depends on me," his dating app profile said. Users who swiped right were directed to a website where they could donate to Ol Pejeta.