In Africa, the final two northern white rhinos live on a former cattle ranch, closely monitored by armed guards around the clock.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy, set between the Aberdares and Mount Kenya, is dedicated to providing a refuge for rescued chimpanzees, African bush elephants, and Cape buffalo.
The conservancy, which is believed to support about 100 mammal and 500 bird species, is home to Najin and Fatu – the only northern white rhinos left in the world.
This species of rhinoceros originally thrived in northern and central African countries before arriving in Kenya, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) notes that excessive hunting led to the ‘functional extinction’ of these herbivores, with their horns being highly coveted.
In the 1980s, the wild population dwindled to merely 15 individuals. Now, there remain only two northern white rhinos, a mother and daughter, incapable of natural reproduction.
Najin and Fatu arrived at Ol Pejeta from a Czech zoo in 2009, accompanied by two male northern white rhinos, Suni and Sudan.
During their introduction, they were among the last seven individuals of their species.
These critically endangered rhinos were placed in a specific 700-acre zone under continuous armed protection, as reported by BBC Travel.
Despite the extensive efforts to safeguard them, the male rhinos, along with others under care at different facilities, eventually passed away.
Following the demise of Suni and Sudan, a few southern white female rhinos were introduced to Najin and Fatu’s enclosure to provide companionship.
Expressing his feelings about safeguarding these unique creatures, Ol Pejeta’s Head Keeper Zachary Mutai shared with the publication: “I feel so grateful that I get to look after the last two of their kind.
“But at the same time, it’s a huge weight on my shoulders because they need so much special care, and the whole world is watching.”
With Najin and Fatu being the only ones left, the northern white rhino seemed destined for extinction.
However, recent scientific advancements offer a glimmer of hope for their survival.
In March, Science Focus reported on an international team working to pull the species back from the brink of extinction.
This initiative, known as the BioRescue project, has been developing ‘test tube rhinos’ and succeeded in implanting a lab-made rhino embryo into a surrogate.
Conducted with southern white rhinos, the experiment aims to be replicated with the nearly extinct northern counterparts, as per Susanne Holtze from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Germany.
“To achieve the first successful embryo transfer in a rhino is a huge step,” Holtze stated. “But now I think with this achievement, we are very confident that we will be able to create northern white rhinos in the same manner and that we will be able to save the species.”
According to BBC News, neither Najin nor Fatu can bear a pregnancy due to their age and health issues.
Thus, the synthetic embryo will be placed in a surrogate southern white rhino’s womb.
The hope remains that these magnificent creatures will eventually roam the wild once more.