Hey animal lovers! 🦏
In an exciting twist that sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, scientists in Berlin have pulled off the world's first successful embryo transfer in a white rhinoceros! 🎉 This groundbreaking achievement could be the game-changer for saving the critically endangered northern white rhino from vanishing forever.
So, here's the scoop: The white rhino has two subspecies – northern and southern. Sadly, the last male northern white rhino passed away in 2018. 😢 Now, only two females are left, and neither can carry a baby rhino to term. Talk about a tough situation!
But fear not! Our amazing scientists have stepped in with a plan straight out of \"Jurassic Park\" (minus the dinosaurs 🦖). They've harvested eggs from the northern white rhino females and used sperm from deceased males to create embryos. The idea? Transfer these embryos to southern white rhino surrogate moms, who are more plentiful and can carry the babies to term.
As a proof of concept, the team successfully transferred a southern white rhino embryo into a surrogate mother at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on September 24, 2023. And guess what? She's 70 days pregnant with a healthy embryo that's already 6.4 cm long! 🌟
\"We achieved together something which was not believed to be possible,\" said Thomas Hildebrandt, head of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. This milestone brings us closer to seeing new northern white rhino calves in the next couple of years! 🥳
The northern white rhinos, despite their name, are actually gray. They once roamed freely across East and Central Africa but faced severe decline due to poaching for their horns. The BioRescue team has been racing against time to prevent their extinction.
Now, with this successful pregnancy, they can safely move forward with transferring northern white rhino embryos. Fingers crossed for baby rhinos soon! 🤞
Cover image: Najin and her daughter Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos on the planet, grazing peacefully at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya. (Photo credit: CFP)
Reference(s):
World's 1st white rhino IVF pregnancy may offer way to save subspecies
cgtn.com
