Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Last male northern white rhino dies in Kenya

The world's last surviving male northern white rhino has died after months of poor health, his carers say.

Sudan, who was 45, lived at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. He was put to sleep on Monday after age-related complications worsened significantly.

His death leaves only two females - his daughter and granddaughter - of the subspecies alive in the world.

Hope for preserving the northern white rhino now lies in developing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques.

"His death is a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him," said Jan Stejskal, an official at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic, where Sudan had lived until 2009.

"But we should not give up," he added in quotes carried by AFP news agency.

"We must take advantage of the unique situation in which cellular technologies are utilised for conservation of critically endangered species. It may sound unbelievable, but thanks to the newly developed techniques even Sudan could still have an offspring."

Why is this kind of rhino so rare?

Rhinoceroses - of which there are five species - are the second-largest land mammal after elephants. The white rhinoceros consists of two sub-species: the southern white rhino and the much rarer and critically endangered northern white rhino.

Sudan, who was the equivalent of 90 in human years, was the last surviving male of the rarer variety after the natural death of a second male in late 2014.

The subspecies' population in Uganda, Central African Republic, Sudan and Chad was largely wiped out during the poaching crisis of the 1970s and 1980s. Poaching was fuelled by demand for rhino horn for use in traditional Chinese medicine, and for dagger handles in Yemen.

The last few dozen wild northern white rhinos in the Democratic Republic of Congo had been killed by the early 2000s.

By 2008, the northern white rhino was considered extinct in the wild, according to WWF, the global environment campaign.

What did Sudan die from?

The elderly rhino was being treated for degenerative changes in his muscles and bones, combined with extensive skin wounds.

Unable to stand up and suffering a great deal in his last 24 hours, Sudan was put down by veterinarians at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

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Is there any prospect the subspecies could survive?

In 2009, the four remaining northern white rhinos, two males and two females, were transferred from the Czech zoo to Ol Pejeta in Kenya.

The hope was that the new environment, reflecting their native habitat, would encourage breeding.

Image copyright EPA Image caption A sculpture of Sudan and his female relatives stands in New York

However, there were no successful pregnancies and Sudan was retired from his role as a potential mate four years ago.

Other attempts to conserve some of the northern white rhino genes by mating 27-year-old Najin and her 17-year-old daughter Fatu with a southern white male also failed.

An account was created for Sudan on the dating app Tinder last year, not to find love, but to help fund the development of IVF for rhinos.

The move won him fans across the world - fans who will now be mourning his death and the northern white rhino's proximity to extinction.

Sudan's genetic material was collected on Monday, conservationists said, to support future attempts to preserve the subspecies.

The plan is to use stored sperm from several northern white rhino males, and eggs from the remaining younger females, and implant the embryo in a surrogate southern white rhino.

Rhino IVF is a radically new procedure and could cost as much as $10m (£7.1m). It still gives conservationists hope that Najin and Fatu will be able to have their own calves one day.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Science correspondent Rebecca Morelle reports on a UK zoo's radical plan to save the northern white rhino

How is the world reacting?

News of the loss of the world's last male northern white rhino has travelled far.

People including Kenyan politicians and YouTubers have posted pictures of themselves meeting Sudan on the reserve where he lived out his remaining years.

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma and former WWE wrestler Daniel Bryan shared their sadness with the hashtag #wedidthis.

Many, including a British teenaged conservation activist, blame humans for the subspecies' imminent extinction and are calling for attention to be refocused on saving other rhino species before it is too late.</s>Sudan, the last known male of the northern white rhinoceros subspecies, grazes in his paddock, at the Ol Pejeta conservancy in Laikipia County — at the foot of Mount Kenya — that is home to the planet’s last-three northern white rhinoceros. The last male northern white rhino has died in Kenya at the age of 45, his keepers announced on Tuesday, leaving only two females of his subspecies alive.</s>Nairobi: Researchers say the world's last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, has died after "age-related complications".

A statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya says the 45-year-old rhino was euthanised on Monday after his condition "worsened significantly" and he was no longer able to stand.

The rhino had been part of an ambitious effort to save the subspecies from extinction with the help of the two surviving females.

Scientists hope Sudan's death won't be the end of the species. They plan to use southern white rhinos as surrogates to carry northern white rhino embryos created via IVF, using sperm from dead rhinos that is stored in Berlin and eggs extracted by surgery from the females at Ol Pejeta, according to the conservancy.

The organisation confirmed via Twitter that Sudan's genetic material had been collected prior to his death to be used for future conservation efforts.</s>Researchers say the world's last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, has died after "age-related complications".

A statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya says the 45-year-old rhino was euthanised on Monday after his condition "worsened significantly" and he was no longer able to stand.

The rhino had been part of an ambitious effort to save the subspecies from extinction with the help of the two surviving females.

"He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity," said the conservancy's CEO, Richard Vigne.

Sudan was something of a celebrity, attracting thousands of visitors.</s>The world's last male northern white rhino has died, the Kenyan conservancy taking care of it said, leaving only two females of its subspecies alive in the world. Scarlett Cvitanovich reports.</s>There are only two females remaining alive Najin (L) and Fatu, the only two remaining female northern white rhinos graze in their paddock on March 20, 2018 at the Ol-Pejeta conservancy in Nanyuki, north of capital Nairobi. — AFP NAIROBI: Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, has died in Kenya at the age of 45, after becoming a symbol of efforts to save his subspecies from extinction, a fate that only science can now prevent. When Sudan was born in 1973 in the wild in Shambe, South Sudan, there were about 700 of his kind left in existence. At his death, there are only two females remaining alive and the hope that in-vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques will advance enough to preserve the sub-species. Sudan, elderly by rhino standards, had been ailing for some time, suffering from age-related infections, according to his keepers at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where he lived under armed guard to prevent would-be poachers. “His condition worsened significantly in the last 24 hours;..

There are only two females remaining alive

Najin (L) and Fatu, the only two remaining female northern white rhinos graze in their paddock on March 20, 2018 at the Ol-Pejeta conservancy in Nanyuki, north of capital Nairobi. — AFP

NAIROBI: Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, has died in Kenya at the age of 45, after becoming a symbol of efforts to save his subspecies from extinction, a fate that only science can now prevent. When Sudan was born in 1973 in the wild in Shambe, South Sudan, there were about 700 of his kind left in existence.

At his death, there are only two females remaining alive and the hope that in-vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques will advance enough to preserve the sub-species. Sudan, elderly by rhino standards, had been ailing for some time, suffering from age-related infections, according to his keepers at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where he lived under armed guard to prevent would-be poachers.

“His condition worsened significantly in the last 24 hours; he was unable to stand up and was suffering a great deal. The veterinary team… made the decision to euthanize him.” Ironically, Sudan’s death comes as hundreds of scientists and government envoys gather in Colombia at a biodiversity crisis summit for a global appraisal of mass species extinction.

“We on Ol Pejeta are all saddened by Sudan’s death. He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity,” said Richard Vigne, Ol Pejeta’s CEO.

Wiped out by poaching

Rhinos have few predators in the wild due to their size. However, demand for rhino horn in traditional Chinese medicine and dagger handles in Yemen fueled a poaching crisis in the 1970s and 1980s that largely wiped out the northern white rhino population in Uganda, Central African Republic, Sudan and Chad. A final remaining wild population of about 20-30 rhinos in the Democratic Republic of Congo died out during fighting in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and by 2008 the northern white rhino was considered extinct in the wild.

Modern rhinos have plodded the earth for 26 million years. As recently as the mid-19th century there were over a million in Africa. The western black rhino was declared extinct in 2011. In the 1970s, Sudan “escaped extinction in the wild”, when he was shipped to the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic. He did manage to sire two females while at the Czech zoo. His daughter Najin, 28, and her daughter Fatu, 17 are the two females left alive at Ol Pejeta.

Then in 2009, Sudan, another male and the two females were shipped to Ol Pejeta in Kenya, with high hopes that conditions similar to their native habitat would encourage breeding. However, despite the fact that they were seen mating, there were no successful pregnancies. Further efforts to mate a male southern white rhino with the females-and thus conserve some of the northern white genes-were also unsuccessful. The other male rhino, Suni, died of natural causes in October 2014.

However, scientists have gathered Sudan’s genetic material and are working on developing IVF techniques to preserve the subspecies. Sudan gained worldwide fame in 2017 after he was featured on the popular dating app Tinder in an effort to raise money for the IVF procedure-which has never been done with rhinos.

The plan is to use sperm from several northern white rhino males that is stored in Berlin, and eggs from Najin and Fatu and implant the embryo-which will be created in an Italian laboratory-in a surrogate southern white female, according to Ol Pejeta. Sudan’s “death is a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him,” said Jan Stejskal, Director of International Projects at the Dvur Kralove Zoo. “But we should not give up. It may sound unbelievable, but thanks to the newly developed techniques even Sudan could still have an offspring.”

Even if the subspecies can be revived, their natural habitat is still too dangerous for them, but Samuel Mutisya, head of conservation at Ol Pejeta, says there is still hope. “It will take many years to have a substantial population of northern white rhinos, and you can’t predict what Central Africa will be like in 10 years.” – AFP</s>Sudan, the world's last male northern white rhino, grazes at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia county in Kenya on May 3, 2017. The 45-year-old Sudan died on March 19.

—The world's last male northern white rhino, Sudan, has died after "age-related complications," researchers announced Tuesday, saying he "stole the heart of many with his dignity and strength."

A statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya said the 45-year-old rhino was euthanized on Monday after his condition "worsened significantly" and he was no longer able to stand. His muscles and bones had degenerated and his skin had extensive wounds, with a deep infection on his back right leg.

Euthanasia was "the best option, given the quality of his life had deteriorated to a point where it was unfair to him," chief conservation officer Samuel Mutisya told The Associated Press.

The rhino had been part of an ambitious effort to save the subspecies from extinction after decades of decimation by poachers, with the help of the two surviving females. One is his 27-year-old daughter, Najin, and the other is her 17-year-old daughter, Fatu.

His death won't have an impact on the efforts to save the subspecies, as the focus turns to in vitro fertilization techniques using stored semen from other dead rhinos, and eggs extracted from the two remaining females.

"He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity," said the conservancy's chief executive officer, Richard Vigne.

Sudan was something of a celebrity, attracting thousands of visitors. Last year he was listed as "The Most Eligible Bachelor in the World" on the Tinder dating app in a fundraising effort.

The last male northern white rhino had been born in Sudan, the last of his kind to be born in the wild.

He was taken to a Czech zoo and then transferred to Kenya in 2009 with the three other remaining fertile northern white rhinos at the time. They were placed under 24-hour armed guard and fed a special diet. "However, despite the fact that they were seen mating, there were no successful pregnancies," the conservancy said.

Rangers caring for Sudan described him as gentle and, as his condition worsened in recent weeks, expressed sadness over his imminent death.

The rhino "significantly contributed to survival of his species as he sired two females," the conservancy said. "Additionally, his genetic material was collected yesterday and provides a hope for future attempts at reproduction of northern white rhinos through advanced cellular technologies."

The only hope for preserving the subspecies "now lies in developing in vitro fertilization techniques using eggs from the two remaining females, stored northern white rhino semen from males and surrogate southern white rhino females," the statement said.

Semen from dead northern white rhinos is stored in various locations around the world, and it is critical to keep the two females alive until the in vitro fertilization techniques are perfected, conservancy CEO Mr. Vigne told the AP earlier this month.

Sudan's death "is a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him. But we should not give up," said Jan Stejskal, director of international projects at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic. "It may sound unbelievable, but thanks to the newly developed techniques even Sudan could still have an offspring."

Supporters think the global efforts to save the subspecies via stem cell and other technologies could be used to help other endangered species. Some groups such as the London-based Save the Rhino have said in vitro fertilization is probably too late to save the northern white rhino, whose natural habitat has faced severe limitations, and that efforts should focus on other critically endangered species with a better chance at survival.

Northern white rhinos once roamed parts of Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Congo, and Central African Republic, and were particularly vulnerable because of the armed conflicts that have swept the region over decades.

Other rhinos, the southern white rhino and another species, the black rhino, are under heavy pressure from poachers who kill them for their horns to supply illegal markets in parts of Asia.

Roughly 20,000 southern white rhinos remain in Africa. Their numbers dipped below 100 around a century ago, but an intense effort initiated by South African conservationist Ian Player in the mid-20th century turned things around.

This article was reported by The Associated Press.</s>The world's last male northern white rhino, Sudan, has died after "age-related complications," researchers announced Tuesday, saying he "stole the heart of many with his dignity and strength."

A statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya said the 45-year-old rhino was euthanized on Monday after his condition "worsened significantly" and he was no longer able to stand. His muscles and bones had degenerated and his skin had extensive wounds, with a deep infection on his back right leg.

The rhino had been part of an ambitious effort to save the subspecies from extinction after decades of decimation by poachers, with the help of the two surviving females. One is his daughter, Najin, and the other is her daughter, Fatu.

His death won't have an impact on the efforts to save the subspecies, as the focus turns to in vitro fertilization techniques using stored semen from other dead rhinos and eggs extracted from the two remaining females.

"He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity," said the conservancy's CEO, Richard Vigne.

Sudan was something of a celebrity, attracting thousands of visitors. Last year he was listed as "The Most Eligible Bachelor in the World" on the Tinder dating app in a fundraising effort.

The last male northern white rhino had been born in Sudan, the last of his kind to be born in the wild.

He was taken to a Czech zoo and then transferred to Kenya in 2009 with the three other remaining fertile northern white rhinos at the time. They were placed under 24-hour armed guard and fed a special diet. "However, despite the fact that they were seen mating, there were no successful pregnancies," the conservancy said.

Rangers caring for Sudan described him as gentle and, as his condition worsened in recent weeks, expressed sadness over his imminent death.

The rhino "significantly contributed to survival of his species as he sired two females," the conservancy said. "Additionally, his genetic material was collected yesterday and provides a hope for future attempts at reproduction of northern white rhinos through advanced cellular technologies."

The only hope for preserving the subspecies "now lies in developing in vitro fertilization techniques using eggs from the two remaining females, stored northern white rhino semen from males and surrogate southern white rhino females," the statement said.

Sudan's death "is a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him. But we should not give up," said Jan Stejskal, director of international projects at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic. "It may sound unbelievable, but thanks to the newly developed techniques even Sudan could still have an offspring."

Northern white rhinos once roamed parts of Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Congo and Central African Republic, and were particularly vulnerable because of the armed conflicts that have swept the region over decades.

Other rhinos, the southern white rhino and another species, the black rhino, are under heavy pressure from poachers who kill them for their horns to supply illegal markets in parts of Asia.

Roughly 20,000 southern white rhinos remain in Africa. Their numbers dipped below 100 around a century ago, but an intense effort initiated by South African conservationist Ian Player in the mid-20th century turned things around.</s>The life of the last known male northern white rhinoceros has sadly come to an end. The 45-year-old rhino named Sudan was put to sleep on Monday by officials from the nonprofit Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, after it became clear that the animal was in extreme pain from age-related health issues and from a series of infections.

"Once his condition worsened significantly and he was unable to stand up and evidently, suffered a great deal, the decision to euthanize him was made by his veterinary team," according to an official statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy website.

The last of his kind, Sudan leaves behind two females of its subspecies alive in the world -- Sudan's 27-year-old daughter Najin and 17-year-old granddaughter Fatu.

Sudan was unable to breed with the female rhinos in captivity, and his plight came to the world's attention last year when the Ol Pejeta Conservancy signed up Sudan for Tinder in search of an eligible mate and to raise funds for research into breeding methods.

Although this is a tremendous loss, scientists still hope to save the northern white rhino from extinction by in vitro fertilization. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy staff collected Sudan's genetic material so scientists could attempt reproduction of northern white rhinos in the future.

Previously, Sudan lived at the Dver Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic before he was transferred to Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Nairobi, Kenya. The northern white rhino is thought to be extinct in the wild sadly due to poachers.

"It's very sad to lose Sudan because it shows clearly the extent of human greed and what sort of impact humans beings can have on nature," Samuel Mutisya, head of wildlife conservation at Ol Pejeta, told Reuters on Monday. "If we don't take care of what we have, we will definitely continue to lose it, particularly lose other species that are currently endangered."</s>The world's last male northern white rhino has died, leaving only two females of its subspecies alive in the world.

The Kenyan Conservancy taking care of him, Ol Pejeta, said he had to be put down because of the rapid decline of his health.

The decision was made with wildlife officials and the rhino's previous carers.

Sudan, the 45-year-old rhino, passed away yesterday, and now there are only two females of the subspecies left in the world.

He was being treated for age-related complications that had affected his muscles and bones and also had extensive skin wounds.

The rhino had spent two weeks in late February and early March lying in his pen due to discomfort from a deep wound on his right hind leg.

Ol Pejeta said in a statement: "His condition worsened significantly in the last 24 hours. He was unable to stand up and was suffering a great deal.

"The veterinary team from the Dver Kralove Zoo, Ol Pejeta and Kenya Wildlife Service made the decision to euthanise him."

Sudan had previously lived at the Dver Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic before being transported to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, about 155 miles north of Nairobi.

He lived there with the last two females of the same species, 27-year old Najin and 17-year old Fatu.

After all attempts at getting him to mate naturally failed, conservationists put Sudan on dating app Tinder last year in the hope they could raise enough money to pay for a $9 million (£6.5 million) fertility treatment.

His profile on the popular dating app reads: "I don't mean to be too forward, but the fate of my species literally depends on me.

"I perform well under pressure. I like to eat grass and chill in the mud. No problems. 6 ft tall and 5,000 pounds if it matters."

A swipe right on Sudan's Tinder profile - available in 190 countries and 40 languages - directed users to the OL Pejeta donation page.

Just hours after he went online, the number of hits was so high that the Ol Pejeta website crashed.

Heather Sohl, chief adviser for wildlife at conservation charity WWF said: “The death of Sudan is heartbreaking.

"We’re seeing the extinction of the northern white rhino happen right before our eyes, driven by the insatiable demand for their horns.

"To ensure other wildlife doesn’t suffer this fate, we need strong action such as cutting demand, cracking down on corruption, and improving enforcement.”
Sudan, the last known male Northern white rhinoceros, dies in captivity, leaving two females as the only surviving members of the subspecies.