Northern White Rhinos Saved From Extinction By IVF Embryos

The next generation may get a chance to experience the majesty of northern white rhinos in person. This is after scientists were able to successfully create two embryos through the process of IVF. 

The in-vitro process was carried out by a team of veterinarians and conservationists from Germany, Kenya, and the Czech Republic working at the Avantea laboratory in Cremona, Italy. The eggs were fertilized with frozen sperm from deceased white rhinos. After 10 days of incubation, two of the eggs have developed into viable embryos that could be used to conceive in the future. The embryos are now preserved in liquid nitrogen as they wait to be transferred into a surrogate mother.

After 10 days of incubation, two of Fatu’s eggs have developed into viable embryos that have been cryopreserved for future transfer. Najin’s eggs did not make it to a viable embryo despite the fact that one egg initiated segmentation. Thanks to Avantea Laboratories in Cremona pic.twitter.com/Wlihe8qI32

— KWS (@kwskenya) September 11, 2019

The eggs used were successfully harvested from the last two female Northern white rhinos at Ole Pejeta Conservancy earlier this year. Najin and Fatu are mother and daughter, as well as the last two remaining Northern white rhinos in the world. This comes after Sudan, the last male Northern white rhino in the world, died earlier this year.

Kenya Wildlife Service took to Twitter to share the good news which was a culmination of years of research, funding, in addition to being ‘a race against time’ to save the endangered Northern white rhino species.

BREAKING NEWS: 2 northern white rhino embryos have been created in an Italian laboratory using eggs collected from the 2 remaining females and frozen sperm from deceased males. The embryos are now stored in liquid nitrogen to be transferred into a surrogate mother. pic.twitter.com/XOqNrs08yR

— KWS (@kwskenya) September 11, 2019

SAVING FROM EXTINCTION: For decades the story of the northern white rhinoceros has been a tale of decline. So today, we are thrilled to announce that 2 northern white rhino embryos have been successfully matured and fertilised. The 2 embryos were created using eggs from Fatu pic.twitter.com/G1hsw7KMiK

— KWS (@kwskenya) September 11, 2019

Images Courtesy: Twitter