Sudan (rhinoceros)
Southern Sudan, Sudan (now South Sudan) | |
Died | 19 March 2018[1] Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia, Kenya | (aged 44–45)
---|---|
Known for | Last known male of his subspecies in the world[2] |
Sudan (1973 – 19 March 2018) was a captive northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) that lived at the Safari Park Dvůr Králové in the Czech Republic from 1975[3] to 2009 and the rest of his life at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya.[4] At the time of his death, he was one of only three living northern white rhinoceroses in the world, and the last known male of his subspecies. Sudan was euthanised on 19 March 2018, after suffering from "age-related complications".[5]
Capture in Africa
A group of six northern white rhinoceros, including the two-year-old Sudan, were captured in
The number of northern white rhinos was already considered to be only around 700 animals in the wild.[7] For many environmentalists, leaving the animals in nature was the only acceptable way of preserving the already rare subspecies. The Dvůr Králové Zoo and their Chipperfield partners were then criticized for the capture.[7] The zoo was specializing in African fauna and already had the largest collection outside of Africa.[7]
Life in the Czech Republic
In 1975 the group, including Sudan, was shipped to the
Two years later they were joined by Nasima, who originated from Uganda but came from Knowsley Safari Park[10] near Prescot, England, and Saut was later lent to San Diego Zoo in the United States.[11]
Breeding
After 1980, the northern white rhinos were wiped out in Uganda and Sudan, and 13 were left in
Offspring
Sudan fathered three calves in the Czech Republic and became the grandfather of one. Sudan fathered Nabire (
Breeding crisis
The second-to-last male northern white rhinoceros in the world was Angalifu, who lived at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with Nola until his death on 14 December 2014.[17] Angalifu was beyond breeding age, leaving Sudan as the only fertile male in the world even when Angalifu was alive.[18]
In June 2008 specialists met in the Dvůr Králové Zoo to decide further steps to save the subspecies. The meeting of the Czech Zoo with IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG),
Return to Kenya
In December 2009 the rhinos were moved to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy for a "Last Chance To Survive" breeding program, along with three other northern white rhinoceroses. It was hoped that Ol Pejeta would provide a more natural habitat and better hormonal balance for the animals to induce breeding.[5][20] However, breeding attempts with Sudan at Ol Pejeta Conservancy were unsuccessful.[21]
One of the other three rhinos transported in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Suni, died in 2014.[22] Sudan then lived the final years of his life with his daughter Najin and granddaughter Fatu.
Northern white rhinoceroses are guarded 24 hours a day at the conservancy to protect them from poaching, which is a major problem for rhinoceroses. The protection includes horn-embedded transmitters, watchtowers, fences, drones, guard dogs, and trained armed guards around the clock.[23]
Death
At the end of 2017, Sudan suffered from an infection in his right hind leg. Although his condition improved in subsequent months, the infection returned, and, in March 2018, his state seriously deteriorated, despite intensive care.[24][25] In the final years of his life, Sudan was protected by armed guards around the clock. He was euthanized on 19 March 2018, after suffering from "age-related complications."[5]
In the weeks before Sudan's death, Richard Vigne, CEO of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, stated that "Sudan has been technically infertile for many years, so him dying is not going to affect the possibilities of recovery for the northern white rhino as a species."[25]
The skin-mount of Sudan and the skeleton of Nabire were on display in the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic until the end of 2021.[26]
Scientific efforts to resurrect the subspecies
After the death of Sudan, Dvůr Králové Zoo spokesman Jan Stejskal declared that "We must take advantage of the unique situation in which cellular technologies are utilized for conservation of critically endangered species. It may sound unbelievable, but thanks to the newly developed techniques even Sudan could still have an offspring."[27]
There are now ongoing attempts at
Support
In February 2015, Ol Pejeta Conservancy launched a
In 2017, Ol Pejeta Conservancy teamed up with
On 20 December 2020, Google showed a Doodle on its homepage in remembrance of Sudan.[36]
References
- ^ "In captivity". Papuan Animals. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Endangered Species: Rare White Rhino Dies, Breed Close to Extinction". Discovery News. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ^ "Mládě milénia: Cesta k úspěchu" [The Millennium Calf – Road to Success]. Czech Radio. 11 April 2000. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ Khomami, Nadia. "Death of white rhino in Kenya leaves only six animals alive in the world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d Eyder Peralta "Sudan, World's Last Male Northern White Rhino, Dies" Archived 20 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine NPR, 20 March 2018. Accessed 20 March 2018.
- ^ Joe Shute (2017) "Meet Sudan, the last surviving male northern white rhino" Archived 20 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Stuff.co.nz, 26 June 2017. Accessed 20 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d https://www.euro.cz/blogy/sudan-politicka-ekonomie-jednoho-zivocisneho-druhu-1399199 Archived 25 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Sudan: Political economy of one biological species – in Czech
- ^ a b "Last Chance to Survive: Northern White Rhino Conservation Project" (PDF). Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ Lazarová, Daniela (25 September 2014). "Dvůr Králové Zoo spearheading international efforts to save northern white rhino from extinction". Radio Prague. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Czech Radio: The Millennium Calf – Road to Success Archived 24 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine – in Czech
- ^ Czech Radio: The Millennium Calf –Road to Success Archived 24 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine – in Czech
- ^ a b "Severní bílí nosorožci v zajetí". Archived from the original on 12 November 2005.
- ^ Raymond Johnston "And then there were four: Northern white rhino dies in zoo" Archived 10 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine Prague Post, 28 July 2015. Accessed 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Události ČT: Ve Dvoře Králové oplakávají Nabiré" (in Czech). CT24.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Northern White Rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum cottoni". Redorbit. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ Stephanie Pappas "The Story Behind That Viral Photo of a Lonely Rhino" Archived 17 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine LiveScience, 10 November 2017. Accessed 20 March 2018.
- ^ Boehrer, Katherine. "Only Six Northern White Rhinos Left In The World After Death At Wildlife Sanctuary". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Nosorožci na hraně zániku - Zoo Dvůr Králové chce svoje nejvzácnější zvířata převézt do Afriky". 7 October 2008. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ Moshiri, Nazanine (4 January 2014). "Meeting the Northern white rhinos". Aljazeera. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ Catterick, Ally (9 January 2014). "Ol Pejeta Conservancy extends breeding plan for the northern white rhinoceros". Phys Org. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ Gap, Frontier. (27 October 2014) The Death Of Suni, A Rhino Conservation Icon Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Thedodo.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Last Chance to Survive – Northern White Rhino Conservation Project". Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- iDNES.cz. MAFRA, a. s. Archivedfrom the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ OCLC 2269358. Archived from the originalon 6 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Národní muzeum vystavuje bílého nosorožce Sudána, stále může zachránit druh". 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Northern white rhino: Last male Sudan dies in Kenya". BBC. 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- Natural World– Sudan – The Last of the Rhinos, 9–10 pm Wednesday 28 June 2017, BBC TV2
- ^ Pappas, Stephanie (9 March 2020). "Can (and Should) the Northern White Rhino Be Saved?". Live Science. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ Spencer, Clare (13 April 2020). "Northern white rhinos: The audacious plan that could save a species". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ Rhino, Support. "Celebs to rhinos rescue". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ Ol Pejeta Conservancy (2015) "Khaled Abol Naga and Nargis Fakhri Stand with Sudan" Archived 5 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Nargis Fakhri campaigns for the last white Rhino Sudan in Kenya" Archived 27 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine Deccan Chronicle, 25 May 2015. Accessed 20 March 2018.
- ^ "World's last male white rhino joins Tinder". Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ^ Page, Thomas. "Last male northern white rhino joins Tinder". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ Sources:
- "Remembering Sudan, the Last Male Northern White Rhino". Google. 20 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- "Sudan, the Last Male Northern White Rhino - Google Doodle for remembering Sudan". Rajamanickam Antonimuthu. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- Johnson, Lauren M. (20 December 2020). "Google Doodle pays tribute to the last male northern white rhino". CNN. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
External links
- This May Be The Last Photo Post About The Last Male Northern White Rhino. The Huffington Post. 5 March 2018.
- Last male northern white rhino's death highlights 'huge extinction crisis'. The Guardian. 20 March 2018.