It is with great sadness that Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Dvůr Králové Zoo announce that Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino, aged 45, died at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on 19th March 2018 (yesterday).
Sudan was being treated for age-related health issues that led to degenerative changes in his muscles and bones, combined with extensive skin wounds. His condition worsened significantly in the last 24 hours; he was unable to stand up and was suffering a great deal. The veterinarian team from the Dvůr Králové Zoo, Ol Pejeta and Kenya Wildlife Service made the decision to euthanize him. His death leaves just two female northern white rhinos on the planet: Najin and her daughter Fatu, who remain at Ol Pejeta. The only hope of saving this rhino from extinction now lies in developing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques using eggs from the two remaining females, stored northern white rhino semen from the males, and surrogate southern white rhino females.
“We on Ol Pejeta are all saddened by Sudan’s death. He was an amazing rhino, a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity. One day, his demise will hopefully be seen as a key moment for conservationists worldwide,” said Richard Vigne, Ol Pejeta’s CEO.