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There are just two northern white rhinos left in the entire world – and they're both female. But now, their species has a chance at survival, as researchers have for the first time achieved an IVF rhino pregnancy.
BioRescue Project, a reproduction technology nonprofit focused on saving threatened species, announced on Wednesday that the company saw the "world's first successful embryo transfer in rhinos." Achieving the feat, the company says, "paves the way for saving the northern white rhinos from extinction."
White rhinos as a whole have seen declining numbers, largely due to poaching, the International Rhino Foundation says. There are two subspecies – the southern white rhino and the northern white rhino – the latter of which is considered extinct in the wild. Just two northern white rhinos remain in the world and reside in a 700-acre enclosure at Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where they have 24-hour armed security.
The embryo was not placed in one of the northern white rhinos. Instead, a southern white rhino embryo was produced and transferred into a southern white rhino surrogate mother at the conservancy. The embryo was placed on Sept. 24, BioRescue Project said, adding that they confirmed a pregnancy of "70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo."
www.cbsnews.com
BioRescue Project, a reproduction technology nonprofit focused on saving threatened species, announced on Wednesday that the company saw the "world's first successful embryo transfer in rhinos." Achieving the feat, the company says, "paves the way for saving the northern white rhinos from extinction."
White rhinos as a whole have seen declining numbers, largely due to poaching, the International Rhino Foundation says. There are two subspecies – the southern white rhino and the northern white rhino – the latter of which is considered extinct in the wild. Just two northern white rhinos remain in the world and reside in a 700-acre enclosure at Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where they have 24-hour armed security.
The embryo was not placed in one of the northern white rhinos. Instead, a southern white rhino embryo was produced and transferred into a southern white rhino surrogate mother at the conservancy. The embryo was placed on Sept. 24, BioRescue Project said, adding that they confirmed a pregnancy of "70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo."
World's first rhino IVF pregnancy could save species that has only 2 living animals remaining
Just two northern white rhinos remain in the world – and the world's first IVF pregnancy in its closest relatives could help their species.
www.cbsnews.com
hope you're doin well.
