The Northern White Rhino is closer to extinction than any other endangered species left on this planet. In this phase of mass extinction, where we have lost more than 50 per cent of our species in the last forty years, there are only three Northern White Rhinos remaining. The species has little hope left of surviving for another decade.
41-year old Nola, one of the last four surviving members of this species, died on 22nd November. She was under medical care for over twenty five years at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. In this period she was treated for infected abscess. The three survivors of this rare species are all residing in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.
The cute Northern White Rhino in this picture left us for a heavenly abode a long time ago.
It’s a pity that many species of Rhino are suffering an irreversible fate in the twenty first century. The Western Black and Javan Rhino are already extinct, while the Sumatran Rhino and the Black Rhino are critically endangered according to IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).
The sad part is that of the three remnants of this species show little promise of giving birth to any further generations. The two females are more or less impotent; while the only male has a low sperm count. And to top that, they are all beyond youth. The only hope left is in vitro fertilization (being carried out at Ol Pejeta) and implantation of embryo into the wombs of Southern White Rhino mothers (attempted at San Diego).
Had it not been for the foresight of the staff at San Diego Zoo, there won’t have been any remaining samples of the Northern White Rhino, which were collected via skin biopsy and post-mortem from 13 individuals who died in the past. It would be just safe to say that the Northern White Rhino still stands a chance of surviving. But a very, very slim one!
