First successful embryo transfer to save the northern white rhinoceros

The International Species Science and Conservation Consortium BioRescue has successfully achieved the world's first rhino pregnancy after an embryo transfer, paving the way to saving the rhino Northern white rhinocerossaid the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) in a statement.

The southern white rhino embryos were created in vitro from collected eggs and sperm and transferred to Curra, a southern white rhino surrogate mother, in the Ol Pejeta Reserve on September 24 last year Kenya.

Curra died on November 25th as a result of poisoning due to a systemic clostridia infection and subsequent poisoning by the bacterial toxin after torrential rains flooded the enclosure in which he was located and clostridia spores from deeper layers were able to reach the surface.

The BioRescue team led by Leibniz IZWthen confirmed in Curra a 70-day pregnancy with a well-developed and viable male fetus measuring 6.4 cm in length.
This scientific advance paves the way to apply the same technique to the northern white rhinoceros, a species at serious risk of extinction, he points out.

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It took us many years to achieve this. And we are overwhelmed to now have proof that this technology works perfectly

Thomas Hildebrandt, BioREscue project manager
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“It took us many years to achieve this. And we are overwhelmed to now have proof that this technology works perfectly,” he said. Thomas HildebrandtProject manager of BioREscue and head of the reproductive management department at Leibniz-IZW.

He added: “It is bitter that this milestone is confirmed in such tragic circumstances with the death of the surrogate mother Curra and her calf,” but he was convinced that this confirmation of the concept represents “a turning point for the survival of the rhinoceros.” .” “Northern White and the Health of Central African Ecosystems”.

A just-in-time service

The expert confirms that this test comes just in time to achieve a pregnancy with the embryo of a northern white rhino, a subspecies of which there are only two living specimens in the world, namely the female. Najin and Fatu, mother and daughterwho live in the Ol Pejeta Reserve.

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In addition, living cells from twelve different northern white rhinos are stored in liquid nitrogen.

As part of the species protection research project BioRescue Since 2019, 30 northern white rhinoceros embryos have been created and cryopreserved, which are stored in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius in Berlin and Cremona and are awaiting transfer to surrogate mothers of the southern subspecies.

Now that there is scientific proof that it works, the BioRescue team, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with around six million euros over a period of six years, can carry out the first embryo transfer with an embryo Northern white rhinoceros.

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We would like the offspring to live with Najin and Fatu for years to learn the social behavior of their species.

Thomas Hildebrandt
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Although embryos can be stored in liquid nitrogen for a long time, Hildebrandt said there is urgency in giving birth to a northern white rhinoceros calf, and with this proof of concept it is possible to achieve this in two or three years.

“We want the offspring to live with Najin and Fatu for years in order to learn the social behavior of their species,” emphasized Hildebrandt.

He recalled that the technique of embryo transfer is well established in humans and domestic animals such as horses or cows, but in the case of rhinos, “it is completely new territory and everything needs to be reinvented, developed, tested and tested, from the approach to… ” The Procedural protocols and necessary equipmentso that it can be used safely.

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