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Last Male Northern White Rhino Sudan falls ill as Species Edges Closer to Extinction

Accepted submission by canopic jug at 2018-03-04 06:00:16
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There are three northern white rhinoceroses left. The last male of this subspecies lives in Kenya and is already quite old for his kind of animal. He is ailing now.

But recently, a secondary and much deeper infection was discovered beneath the initial one and Sudan was taking longer to recover, “despite the best efforts of his team of vets who are giving him 24-hour care”, the organisation said.

There are two other white rhinos left in the world – a female named Najin and daughter Fatu, both also living at the conservancy in Kenya. Health problems or their ages – around 28 and 17, respectively – have left them unable to reproduce.

Wildlife experts and conservationists expressed deep regret over the prospect of the northern white rhino completely dying out. Technically, the species is already classified as extinct because it no longer exists in the wild, conservationists said.

The last few there and elsewhere have been protected 24/7 by heavily armed guard to try to slow down poaching. However, poaching and the other underlying reasons for the impending extinction are unlikely to be solved within the next few decades.

Sources:
Last male northern white rhino Sudan falls ill as species edges closer to extinction [scmp.com]. South China Morning Post
The world's last male northern white rhino is on death watch [cnn.com]. CNN


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