'We will save them': The quest to rescue nearly extinct rhino
Najin and her daughter Fatu are the only northern white rhinos left on Earth. The clock is ticking before they become the latest in a long line of animals that humans have poached to extinction.
But a recent breakthrough means this could be the year the world celebrates a new northern white rhino foetus.
It would be an unprecedented comeback for the subspecies, declared functionally extinct after the death of the last male, Sudan, in 2018.
Uterus problems mean neither Sudan's daughter Najin nor his granddaughter Fatu can carry a pregnancy to term.
But Fatu still produces viable eggs, making her a candidate for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
For years, scientists have been collecting her eggs at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where the rhinos remain under 24-hour guard. The eggs are sent to Europe where they are fertilised in a lab with sperm from dead male northern whites.
There are now 36 fertilised eggs -- or embryos -- ready to be implanted, said Jan Stejskal, project coordinator for BioRescue, the most prominent of numerous such initiatives worldwide.
It is thought Fatu can produce around 10 more eggs before she is too old.
"We hope to achieve the first successful pregnancy with the northern rhino embryo this year," said Stejskal.
"But I cannot promise it."
- 'Mixed with sadness' -
The plan is to use a female southern white rhino -- a closely related subspecies -- as a surrogate.
A year ago scientists announced a breakthrough: a surrogate was pregnant with a male southern white foetus, the first time IVF had worked for rhinos.
But like so much about this long and difficult process, the joy was "mixed with sadness", Ol Pejeta head of research Samuel Mutisya told AFP.
By the time the 6.4-centimetre, 70-day-old foetus was discovered, the surrogate had already died from an unrelated bacteria infection.
Worse still, a sterilised male who had played the role of "teaser bull" -- to help identify when the female is ready for impregnation -- also died from the infection, and finding a replacement has proved tricky.
The team is determined to try again, this time with a northern white embryo.
- So how many chances? -
There are other avenues, including a Japanese effort using stem cells to create northern white rhino eggs and sperm.
This could dramatically boost the number of embryos, and create a wider gene pool for future inseminations.
The stem cell efforts are roughly halfway there, Stejskal said, estimating they could produce embryos in around four years.
Meanwhile, another initiative at Oxford University is attempting to use ovary tissue from dead rhinos to create eggs.
It could mean that even after Najin, 35, and Fatu, 24, have died, scientists could retrieve immature eggs from their ovaries.
Suzannah Williams, a researcher leading the effort, said her "best guess" was they could retrieve a few hundred eggs, even if not all would be viable.
But scientists hope for a solution while Najin and Fatu are still alive to teach the future baby how to be a northern white rhino.
- 'When not if' -
No one knows how likely it is that an individual IVF attempt will result in pregnancy.
It took three attempts for the southern white surrogate, but that is a tiny sample size.
Plenty else could go wrong during a rhino pregnancy, which lasts up to 18 months.
Stejskal remains optimistic, insisting: "We will save them," while Williams agreed it was a matter of "when, not if".
Others are unconvinced.
Even if babies were born from the embryos, the genetic diversity would still be "too low" to revive the species, Save the Rhino International CEO Jo Shaw told AFP.
It is likely too late for northern rhinos, she said, and the focus should be on the Javan and Sumatran subspecies, which each have fewer than 50 surviving.
The northern white researchers maintain the techniques they are developing will help all rhinos, as well as other species.
BioRescue's work is already contributing to saving the Sumatran rhino, Stejskal said.
Back in the Ol Pejeta enclosure, Najin and Fatu's main handler Zacharia Mutai argued it was humans who poached northern whites to the edge of extinction, so it is our responsibility to bring them back.
Mutai, who was there when Sudan died, said the birth of a new baby would be a cause for "world celebration".
"And I will be looking after the baby," he said with a smile, as Fatu and Najin kept on munching behind him.
dl/er/rlp/jxb
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
Massive jellyfish swarm forces shutdown of major nuclear power plant
Four reactors at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant, located along the English Channel, were temporarily shut down over the weekend after a swarm of jellyfish threatened to clog critical water intake systems. According to the plant's operator, several of the facility's production units went offline after jellyfish were detected in the filter drums of the plant's pumping stations. Advertisement The French multinational electric utility company said the pumping stations, located in the non-nuclear section of the site, supply cooling water essential for the facility's operation. 'They had no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of personnel, or the environment,' EDF said in a statement. The Gravelines nuclear power plant is one of the largest nuclear facilities in Western Europe and has been connected to the grid since the 1980s. The impacts of jellyfish on coastal power plants is not without precedent, as there have been similar incidents reported around the globe during the summer months. Advertisement Along the English Channel, jellyfish sightings are frequent and can occasionally result in beach closures due to safety concerns for swimmers. Much of the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea have experienced above-average water temperatures this year, fueling extensive heat waves and creating more favorable conditions for jellyfish. Previous studies have suggested warmer seas can also accelerate jellyfish breeding cycles, increasing the likelihood of large swarms. The production units at the nuclear power plant went offline after jellyfish were seen in the filter drums of the pumping stations. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement In June, several French nuclear reactors reduced output to limit the amount of discharge into waterways because of record-breaking sea surface temperatures. The country's regulations require operators to avoid releasing waste, as overheated water can harm aquatic life. Warm water is known to place additional stress on marine species, lower oxygen levels and disrupt sensitive ecosystems. Jellyfish sightings are very common along the English Channel, which has led to beach closures across the area. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Despite the recent interruptions at the Gravelines plant, France has not reported issues meeting the demand for electricity. According to the World Nuclear Association, the country generates about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy and frequently exports surplus power to neighboring nations. EDF said plant teams remain mobilized and are conducting diagnostics and technical interventions to clear the intake systems and safely restart the affected units. The utility did not say when it expects to have the reactors back online to generate power for the grid.
WIRED
a day ago
- WIRED
Central American Beaches Are Being Overrun With Local and Foreign Plastic
Aug 12, 2025 5:00 AM A study of plastic bottles washed up on the Pacific coast of Latin America has identified a double problem—a mass of local waste combined with long-traveling bottles from Asia. Plastic bottles on a beach in Llolleo, Chile. Photograph: CLAUDIO REYES/AFP via Getty Images A Powerade bottle from 2001 was found on Yaya, a Peruvian beach south of Lima. A Coca-Cola bottle from 2002 was found on Robinson Crusoe Island, a World Biosphere Reserve, in Chile. These were the oldest of all the bottles collected. These discarded pieces of packaging were collected in a new macro-study that looked at the origin of plastic bottle pollution on beaches and cities along Latin America's Pacific coastline. The research—the first to be conducted on a regional scale, thanks to a citizen science initiative covering 10 countries—combed more than 12,000 kilometers of coastline along the west coast of South and Central America. It found that across the region, Central American countries are most affected by coastal plastic pollution, and underscores the urgency of confronting this major problem. Although volunteers found numerous bottles dating back more than a decade, 'most of them were less than a year old,' says scientist Ostin Garcés, an expert on the impact of plastic on marine ecosystems at the University of Barcelona and a lead author of this new research. Plastic makes up the majority of the garbage on coastlines around the world and has reached even the most inhospitable corners of the planet, including the deepest parts of the oceans and both the Arctic and Antarctic. Its impact not only has repercussions on biodiversity and the balance of ecosystems; various studies show how plastic already colonizes our insides, runs through our blood, and lives in our brains and organs. Microplastics have even been found in semen and ovaries. The microplastics that we eat, drink, and breathe every day are part of us. An environmentalist searches for plastic waste and packaging dumped on El Esterón beach in Intipuca, El Salvador, in October 2024. Photograph: MARVIN RECINOS/AFP via Getty Images 'Production and consumption continue unabated,' says Garcés, who is part of the team that sampled a total of 92 continental beaches, 15 island beaches, and 38 human settlements to determine the abundance, origin, and characteristics of plastic bottles along Central and South America's Pacific coast. This study reveals surprising data, given that more than half of the bottles and caps collected had visible dates. According to the study, containers for soft drinks, energy drinks, and drinking water were the most common. The countries with the highest rates of plastic bottle pollution were El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, likely due to their coastal population density, high consumption of beverages in plastic containers, and poor waste management, the study's authors argue. 'These are countries that lack the necessary infrastructure and technical capacity [to control plastic bottle waste]. Therefore, all the beverage waste that reaches their communities ends up in nature,' says Garcés. There is also another very important factor that is driving up pollution, Garcés says. 'Our study shows rising temperatures have caused people in these tropical areas to consume more bottled beverages.' The large number of plastic water bottles found in Central American countries is a symptom of another serious problem in the region, but one that affects most countries on the continent: limited access to safe drinking water, which drives people to buy bottled water and other packaged drinks. Volunteers pick up trash and plastic debris on the beach and cliffs as part of a nationwide beach cleanup in Lima, Peru, in March 2025. Photograph: Klebher Vasquez/Anadolu via Getty Images The results reveal that almost 60 percent of the items with identifiable origins came from countries within the Latin American Pacific region itself—that is, from local producers. 'They are manufactured by bottling companies located in the same country but that work with international brands, such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Aje Group,' explains Garcés. These three multinationals account for the majority of the collected bottles. Bottles from 356 brands produced by 253 companies were identified. The study recorded information contained on the bottles and their caps—such as labels and engravings—to work out their manufacturer, production date, and place of origin. This allowed the researchers to identify sources of pollution and the journeys taken by individual items to reach the beach or city where they were collected. While continental beaches were filled with local products, island beaches receive many Asian bottles, likely arriving from ships and via ocean currents. This observation, Garcés says, was precisely what prompted the research he participated in. In 2023, the Trash Scientists Network, a program of Universidad Católica del Norte in Chile, conducted a study that showed that many bottles that end up on remote islands, such as Rapa Nui (Easter Island) or the Galapagos, had letters on their labels that were not in Spanish, but in Chinese or Japanese. 'That's where the idea of investigating where those bottles came from came from,' Garcés says. An image from the study illustrating how plastic bottles reach Latin American Pacific coasts. Illustration: Garcés-Ordóñez et al. (2025) (CC BY 4.0) The scientists found that, like other marine debris, the bottles and caps they retrieved were sometimes colonized by immobile organisms called epibionts, which live on the surface of other organisms or materials. The team found items with bryozoans, barnacles, and mollusks attached, with the presence of these correlating with the age of the plastic. Bottles and caps also exhibited degradation patterns typical of marine exposure—discoloration, wear, and fragmentation. However, despite these transformations, the plastic waste often retained key identifying characteristics, such as product codes, brand names, manufacturing locations, and dates. This data helped trace their provenance, even when bottles were damaged or heavily colonized by organisms, providing valuable information about their origin and transport pathways. For Garcés, one of the most worrying conclusions of his study is the situation on islands like the Galapagos and Rapa Nui, protected natural areas. As he explains, epibionts attached to the plastic bottles are washing up on their beaches, 'and that represents a serious threat, because we don't know what species of organisms are arriving or where they're coming from. And they can be invasive.' The work would not have been possible without the collaboration of up to 200 local leaders from 74 social organizations, as well as the 1,000 volunteers who were part of this citizen science initiative. Their methodological approach not only allowed the research team to better understand the characteristics of the plastic waste affecting the Latin American Pacific, but also to understand regional beverage preferences and consumption trends in different countries. Proposals to Solve This Crisis Given the widespread presence of disposable plastic bottles, mainly of local origin, one of the researchers' main recommendations is to replace them with standardized returnable bottles throughout the region—'like we used to do,' Garcés says. 'When I was a kid, products were sold in returnable glass bottles. This would be one of the main measures we propose to reduce the production of plastics from the source.' This measure, he says, should be complemented by refund policies and corporate social responsibility initiatives on the part of the beverage companies involved. Demanding reusable packaging and accountability from large producers of bottled drinks are essential strategies to reduce plastic pollution and protect coastal ecosystems, say the authors. 'In the end, companies have their own interests and look for the cheapest alternatives for bottle production. That is why governments have to get involved,' says Garcés. However, he says that improving waste management, especially in coastal communities, is another key issue that needs to be addressed. The researchers also highlight the central role of human behavior in reducing plastic pollution. 'As we grow as a population, consumption increases. And, as long as the basic needs of coastal populations in terms of access to drinking water are not met, it will continue to increase, contaminating more and more coastal environments,' Garcés says. When drinking water is only available in single-use plastic bottles, consumers have no alternatives, 'limiting their ability to act sustainably.' This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
NASA intern stole $21M of Lunar to use during sex to have ‘sex on the moon'
He promised her the Moon — and meant it. More than 23 years ago, NASA intern Thad Roberts hatched a daring plan to steal 17 pounds of moon rocks and a meteorite from Houston's Johnson Space Center — priceless samples from every Apollo mission, locked in a 600-pound safe and valued at $21 million, according to the FBI. Only 24 years old with a triple major in physics, geology, and geophysics at the University of Utah, with a wife he was supporting back in Utah, and financially struggling, Roberts thought his plan was foolproof. Advertisement 4 Thad Roberts orchestrated a daring theft from NASA's Johnson Space Center, stealing a safe containing lunar samples. The first step was finding a buyer. With help from friend Gordon McWhorter, Roberts connected online with a potential Belgian purchaser willing to pay $1,000 to $5,000 per gram. The buyer, however, grew suspicious and alerted the FBI, who instructed him to keep talking while they investigated. Advertisement Around this time, he met Tiffany Fowler, a 22-year-old NASA intern conducting stem cell research. Their friendship quickly became romantic, and after three weeks, they moved in together. When Roberts revealed his plan, Fowler agreed to help. They recruited another NASA intern, Shae Saur, and one night the trio used their NASA IDs to slip into the Johnson Space Center, making off with the entire safe. 4 Lunar gloveboxes are seen in the Lunar Lab where moon rocks are examined, during a media day hosted by NASA to preview the OSIRIS-REx Sample Lab at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on July 24, 2023. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Back at the hotel, they cracked it open with a power saw. On July 20, 2002—the 33rd anniversary of the first moon landing—Roberts and Fowler drove to Orlando to meet family members of the Belgian buyer. While waiting, Roberts placed moon rocks beneath the bed covers, later claiming the couple had 'sex on the moon' as a symbolic gesture. 'I take some of the moon rocks and I put them underneath the blanket on the bed… I never said anything but I'm sure she could feel it,' he told CBS News in 2012. Advertisement 4 The lunar samples were valued at up to $21 million. AFP via Getty Images 'It was more about the symbol of what we were doing, basically having sex on the moon. It's more uncomfortable than not, but it wasn't about the comfort at that point. It was about the expression. And no one had ever had sex on the moon before. I think we can safely say that.' When they met with the supposed buyers, they were instead greeted by undercover FBI agents. The moon rocks were recovered from their hotel room, though the FBI reported they were now 'virtually useless to the scientific community' and that the heist destroyed three decades of handwritten research notes by a NASA scientist. After his arrest, Roberts admitted to also stealing dinosaur bones and fossils from the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City. 4 Roberts was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, serving only six. MediaNews Group via Getty Images When asked why he stole the moon rocks, Robert told CBS News he 'wasn't' looking at it like stealing at the time. 'We weren't going to take this money we were getting from it to go buy a yacht or lots of cars or a big house. We were gonna live just the small kind of lifestyle we were, but fund science that might change the world, you know?' he said. In the end, Roberts, Fowler, and Saur all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property. Advertisement Roberts was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, serving six. Fowler and Saur each received 180 days of house arrest and 150 hours of community service. McWhorter, convicted at trial, was given six years in prison. Roberts and Fowler never saw each other again.
