Pioneering IVF Pregnancy Offers Hope for Endangered Northern White Rhinos

As of 2025-10-15T18:26:58+00:00, there are only two female northern white rhinos left on the planet - Najin and her daughter Fatu. Tragically, neither can carry a pregnancy due to health complications, and the last male northern white rhino died in 2018, making the species functionally extinct.

For the past 15 years, the BioRescue Project, an international consortium, has been working tirelessly to save the northern white rhino from extinction. They have collected and preserved sperm from deceased males and created 38 embryos using Fatu's egg cells. However, with Najin and Fatu unable to carry a pregnancy, the team has turned to southern white rhinos, a less endangered subspecies, as surrogate mothers.

In a major breakthrough, the BioRescue team achieved the first viable IVF pregnancy in a southern white rhino surrogate. Tragically, the pregnancy did not reach full term, as the surrogate mother died from a bacterial infection at 70 days. But this milestone has proven that the team's technique is viable, reigniting hope for the northern white rhino's survival.

The project's lead, Prof. Thomas Hildebrandt, emphasizes that science alone cannot be the sole solution, and conservation efforts must go hand in hand with scientific advancements to prevent extinction. The northern white rhinos are protected around the clock by dedicated rangers and caretakers in a conservancy in Kenya, and the team of ethical scientists carefully monitors every step to ensure the welfare of the animals.