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With your incredible support, the northern white rhino (NWR) BioRescue team, an international consortium of scientists and conservationists, have successfully performed an ovum pickup from northern white female Fatu. The 10th procedure to occur in just three years, the ovum pickup - sometimes referred to as an OPU or oocyte collection - is the process of collecting eggs for the purpose of in vitro fertilization (IVF). These efforts are a last attempt to prevent the species moving from functionally to fully extinct. 

Due to her age, 32- year old Najin retired from participation in the program following an in-depth ethical risk assessment in 2021. All eggs were therefore collected from her daughter Fatu, and flown to Cremona, Italy for the next stage of the process - creation of embryos. Once matured, seven of the eggs were fertilized using preserved semen from the deceased male northern white rhino Angalifu. From this procedure, five embryos were successfully produced and have been cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen at temperature of -196 celsius / -321 fahrenheit. 

With another successful egg collection held at Ol Pejeta just a few months earlier this year, the total number of northern white embryos currently stands at 22 - all of them are from female Fatu. To maintain genetic diversity and therefore a higher chance of long-term species survival, half of these 22 embryos are sired by the deceased male Suni who was born in Safari Park Dvur Kralove, Czech Republic, and the other half sired by Angalifu, who lived in San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the United States of America.

Next steps:

The consortium aims to repeat oocyte collection from Fatu and embryo development on a regular basis, as long as it is feasible and responsible considering Fatu's welfare and the chances of success. At the same time, the BioResecue team turn their attention towards preparing suitable southern white rhinos who will become surrogates for the northern white embryos. The gestation period for a white rhino is 16-18 months and it is hoped these embryos will be the foundation of a new NWR population, eventually destined to step back into their ecological role as keystone grazers in Central Africa. 

Time is of the essence. As Najin and Fatu age, the window narrows for socializing a new calf, risking the loss of vital social knowledge that helps the subspecies survive in its natural range. 

Ol Pejeta Conservancy sincerely thanks you for partnering with us on this ground-breaking project to save a species. Your support helps the team to continue providing world-class care and treatment for the last two remaining NWR females in the world and ensure their safety 24/7, as we seek to bring a species back from the brink of extinction.

Thank you for standing with us.

Introduction

In our effort to conserve the northern white rhino and prevent the species moving from functionally to fully extinct, an international consortium of scientists and conservationists meet every few months to perform an ovum pickup. This is sometimes referred to as an OPU or oocyte collection and is the name for the procedure where oocytes (eggs) are collected.

Ahead of the procedure, our expert team carry out a detailed health evaluation to ascertain if Najin and Fatu are fit for the procedure. Last year, after in in-depth ethical risk assessment, the team decided to retire the older of the two remaining females, 32-year-old Najin, as a donor of egg cells. This leaves Fatu, Najin’s daughter, as the only egg donor.   

What is needed to ensure a successful ovum pickup?

Planning

A huge amount of planning is required to ensure that Fatu is safe and healthy throughout the procedure and that everything is in place for the oocyte collection to be successful.

Equipment & Medicine

The ovum pickup requires specialist equipment and medicine including an ultrasound machine, anaesthesia monitoring equipment, an ovum pickup probe, a microscope, incubator, anaesthetic, anaesthetic reversal, and antibiotics.

Expert Team

The procedure requires a specialist team of world-leading scientists, veterinarians, and northern white rhino caretakers. This equates to about twenty people and includes Professor Thomas Hildebrandt and the rest of the BioRescue team. Professor Thomas Hildebrandt is a specialist in reproduction biology and is one of the pioneers of assisted reproduction in large mammals, including elephants, pandas, big cats, and rhinos. Also present are Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) veterinarians and scientists, Dr Stephen Ngulu, our in-house veterinarian and our northern white rhino caretakers. Dr Stephen Ngulu recently said ‘I am proud and privileged to be at the frontline in ensuring this species is conserved’.

Observation

Fatu is sedated for the duration of the procedure which usually takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and once the anaesthetic reversal drugs are administered, she regains full consciousness. She can walk within a minute and usually begins drinking and feeding within one hour. She is closely observed for two hours after the procedure as a safety measure.

How many embryos have been created?

Once the oocytes have been collected, they are airlifted to Avantea laboratory in Cremona, Italy, for maturation, fertilisation, and embryo development. To date, eight ovum pickups have taken place, 119 oocytes have been harvested and 14 northern white rhino embryos have been created. The embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen for future embryo transfers into southern white rhino surrogates. Two suitable surrogates and a teaser bull have been selected and moved into a 45-acre enclosure, where they are being closely monitored by their dedicated caregivers.

Thank You

All of this would not be possible without your generous support. Thank you for continuing this journey with us and we hope to bring you exciting updates later this year!