Last of its kind: sole surviving male northern white rhino is gravely ill

by Mongabay.com on 3 March 2018 |

The planet’s last male northern white rhino is gravely ill.
Sudan, as the rhino is named, has developed a serious infection.
Only three northern white rhinos remain, including two females who are Sudan’s offspring.
The northern white rhinos are protected from poachers by armed guards.

The world’s sole surviving male northern white rhino is gravely ill, reports Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which safeguards the last three individuals of the critically endangered rhino subspecies.

In an update on its web site, Ol Pejeta warned that Sudan — the 45-year-old rhino that represents the last male of its kind — is “deteriorating” due to an age-related infection.

“His future is not looking bright,” said the conservancy. “We are very concerned about him – he’s extremely old for a rhino and we do not want him to suffer unnecessarily.”

Northern white rhino update – Sudan's health declining So many people have supported the northern white rhinos since they arrived on Ol Pejeta in 2009, and we feel it is important to inform you that Sudan, the last male northern white rhino on the planet, is starting to show signs of ailing. At the advanced age of 45, his health has begun deteriorating, and his future is not looking bright. At the end of the 2017, Sudan developed an uncomfortable age related infection on his back right leg. It was immediately assessed by a team of vets from around the world, and responded well to treatment, healing quickly. He resumed normal movement and foraging habits over January up to mid-February, with his demeanour and general activity improving significantly. Recently, a secondary and much deeper infection was discovered beneath the initial one. This has been treated, but worryingly, the infection is taking longer to recover, despite the best efforts of his team of vets who are giving him 24 hour care, with everything possible being done to help him regain his health. We are very concerned about him – he's extremely old for a rhino and we do not want him to suffer unnecessarily. We will keep you updated on all developments. Please keep him in your thoughts.

A post shared by Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya (@olpejeta) on Feb 28, 2018 at 9:01pm PST

Sudan developed an infection on his rear right leg toward the end of last year. Veterinarians treated the infection, which seemed to heal: Sudan was back to his normal habits in January. But in the second half of February, his behavior shifted and vets found “a secondary and much deeper infection”, which is not responding well to treatment. The conservancy has launched a last ditch fundraising appeal for the species.

If Sudan doesn’t pull through, it means the two female northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta — Fatu and Najin — will be the only two remaining individuals of their subspecies, Ceratotherium simum cottoni. Ol Pejeta protects all of the rhinos under 24-hour armed guard.

Sudan. Courtesy of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya.

The northern white rhino once ranged across parts of Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Democratic Republic of the Congo but was hard hit by poaching. By the early 1980s, the population was down to double digits.

Other rhinos are also in rapid decline due to poaching for their horns and habitat loss. For example, the West African black rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes) was declared extinct in November 2011, while Indonesia’s Sumatran rhino is believed to be down to as few as 30 individuals in the wild.