This photograph captures a moment of fragile hope: the world\u2019s first IVF rhino pregnancy, a tiny foetus that reignited optimism among scientists fighting to save the northern white rhino from extinction. There are only two female northern white rhinos left on the planet \u2013 Najin and her daughter Fatu. Neither can carry a pregnancy due to health complications. The last male died in 2018 and that makes the species functionally extinct.<\/p>\n
For the past 15 years, the BioRescue Project<\/a> \u2013 an international consortium dedicated to saving the species \u2013 has been collecting and preserving sperm from deceased males. Using this genetic material and egg cells from Fatu, they\u2019ve created 38 embryos. It may sound like a lot, but it\u2019s not. Since Najin and Fatu cannot carry a pregnancy, surrogate mothers are essential and it was decided to use southern white rhinos, a less endangered subspecies. The team also needed to prove that their technique would work with southern white rhino embryos before transferring any of the northern white rhino embryos into a surrogate.<\/p>\n After 13 attempts to transfer an embryo they achieved the first viable IVF pregnancy in a southern white rhino. The foetus in this image is the result after transfer. Tragically, the pregnancy didn\u2019t reach full term (16-18 months), as the surrogate mother died from a bacterial infection at 70 days. But the pregnancy demonstrated that the technique is viable \u2013 a critical milestone.<\/p>\n This image goes beyond documentation. It’s not showing a living animal but something much more fragile<\/p>\n Ethics are central to the project and a dedicated team of ethical scientists monitor every step to ensure no harm is done. The northern white rhinos live in a conservancy in Kenya, protected around the clock by devoted rangers and caretakers. I understand that some may feel uneasy about surrogacy and IVF in animals, but I\u2019ve seen first-hand how carefully the team evaluates animal welfare. Prof Thomas Hildebrandt, the project\u2019s lead, says science cannot be an excuse to repeat the mistakes of the past; it cannot be the sole solution; conservation must go hand in hand with science to prevent extinction.<\/p>\n