Remembering and Celebrating Sudan

Today marks the 1st anniversary of the death of Sudan, the last male northern white rhino left in the world.

Sudan’s death on this day last year came after a series of age related health issues. Not many rhinos live to the age of 45, but Sudan led an extraordinary life and his legacy, as the last male of the species, will live on as a constant reminder to us all, of the disastrous impact human ignorance and greed has on all wildlife species.

Sudan’s daughter Najin and granddaughter Fatu are now the last two northern white rhino left on the planet and with no male, the species is functionally extinct. Scientists and conservationists have not given up however and, thanks to their commitment and boundless optimism, there is hope on the horizon.

BREAKTHROUGH: In July 2018, scientists from Dvur Kralove Zoo, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin and Avantea in Cremona announced they had created a viable embryo made with sperm from a northern white rhino and an egg from a southern white rhino.

This scientific breakthrough was greeted with euphoria around the world. Scientists are now perfecting the process of transfer to surrogate southern white rhinos and are confident they will soon be successful.

The next critical step is to harvest eggs from Fatu and Najin. There is a glimmer of hope for this species. Meanwhile, Sudan lives on in our memory. This gentle giant and all he stood for, spurs us on to do all we can to make a safer world for rhinos and critically endangered species everywhere, a legacy Sudan would be proud of.