NEWS RELEASE // Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), Safari Park Dvůr Králové, Kenya Wildlife Service, Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Avantea, Padua University

Biorescue creates two new embryos
in the race against time to prevent the extinction of the northern white rhinoceros

February 17, 2022 - In two sets of procedures between October 2021 and February 2022, the BioRescue consortium created two new northern white rhino embryos, bringing the total to 14. Oocytes (egg cells) were collected from northern white rhino Fatu in October and January at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya, and were matured and inseminated at Avantea laboratory, Italy. The developed embryos were cryopreserved in November 2021 and February 2022, and await transfer to southern white rhino female surrogates in the foreseeable future.

The procedures in October 2021 and January 2022 at Ol Pejeta mark the seventh and eighth successful oocyte collection conducted by the team of scientists and conservationists of Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), Safari Park Dvůr Králové, Kenya Wildlife Service, Wildlife Research and Training Institute and Ol Pejeta Conservancy. In the eight procedures since 2019, the team retrieved a total of 119 oocytes from Fatu and her mother Nájin – resulting in 14 embryos. Since these embryos exclusively originate from Fatu’s oocytes, BioRescue decided to cease egg harvesting on Najin following an ethical risk assessment in 2021. Following the recent oocyte collections, the eggs were airlifted to Avantea laboratory in Cremona, Italy, for maturation, fertilisation, embryo development, and cryopreservation. Both recent embryos were produced using semen from northern white rhino bull Angalifu. In total, there are now 11 embryos from Fatu and Suni and three embryos from Fatu and Angalifu stored in liquid nitrogen for future embryo transfers.

A greater number of embryos increase the chances of having a northern white rhino calf on the ground. 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. This will be determined by regular ethical risk assessments that are conducted before every BioRescue procedure under the guidance of the Ethics Laboratory for Veterinary Medicine, Conservation, and Animal Welfare at Padua University.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Media Package
A collection of photographs can be accessed here

The photographs shall only be used in direct connection with the story depicted in this press release and credit must be “BioRescue/Jan Zwilling”

Boilerplates

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 90,000-acre wildlife conservancy working to conserve wildlife, to provide a sanctuary for great apes, and to generate income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and community development. It is a key conservation area in the wider Laikipia ecosystem and aims to manage sustainable, diverse, and healthy wildlife populations in an integrated wildlife and livestock system. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in east Africa and is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees. It is also home to the last two northern white rhinos on the planet. Ol Pejeta’s cutting-edge wildlife security includes a specialised K-9 unit, motion sensor cameras along its solar-powered electric fence, and a dedicated Rhino Protection Unit. Ol Pejeta also integrates livestock with wildlife – both as a means to earn revenue for conservation but also as a rangeland management tool.  www.olpejetaconservancy.org

The Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research (IZW) is an internationally renowned German research institute of the Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. and a member of the Leibniz Association. Our mission is to examine evolutionary adaptations of wildlife to global change and develop new concepts and measures for the conservation of biodiversity. To achieve this, our scientists use their broad interdisciplinary expertise from biology and veterinary medicine to conduct fundamental and applied research – from molecular to landscape level – in close dialogue with the public and stakeholders. Additionally, we are committed to unique and high-quality services for the scientific community. www.izw-berlin.de

The University of Padua in Italy is one of the oldest in the world, celebrating 800 years. Its Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science is developing leading research and education in the field of wildlife conservation and welfare, with a special focus on ethical assessment and evaluation of research projects and educational programs. www.unipd.it/en/

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)  is a state corporation that was established by an Act of Parliament (Cap 376), now repealed by WCMA (2013), with the mandate to conserve and manage wildlife in Kenya and to enforce related laws and regulations. KWS undertakes conservation and management of wildlife resources across all protected area systems including community conservancies in collaboration with stakeholders. kws.go.ke/

Safari Park Dvůr Králové is a safari park in the Czech Republic. It’s one of the best rhino breeders outside of Africa and the only place where the northern white rhino bred in human care - both remaining females, Najin and Fatu, were born here. Dvůr Králové Zoo coordinates efforts to save the northern white rhinos. safaripark.cz/en/

Avantea is a laboratory of advanced technologies for biotechnology research and animal reproduction based in Cremona, Italy. Avantea has over twenty years of experience and the know-how in assisted reproduction of livestock developed through years of research conducted in the biomedical and animal reproduction fields.  www.avantea.it/en/

The Wildlife Research and Training Institute is a state corporation established under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act No. 47 of 2013 to undertake and coordinate wildlife research and training through innovative approaches to enable the provision of accurate and reliable data and information to inform policy formulation and decision making.

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Contacts

Roxanne Mungai
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Deputy Fundraising & Communications Manager
Phone: +254 / 706 475 737
Roxanne.mungai@olpejetaconservancy.org

Jan Zwilling
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW)
Science Communication
Phone: +49305168121
Email: zwilling@izw-berlin.de

Barbara de Mori
Padua University
Director of the Ethics Laboratory for Veterinary Medicine, Conservation and Animal Welfare
Phone: +39-3403747666
barbara.demori@unipd.it

Dr. David Ndeereh
Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI)
Ag. Deputy Director, Research
Phone: +254 722 556 380
Email: dndeereh@wrti.go.ke; david.ndeereh68@gmail.com

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW)
BioRescue project head and head of Department of Reproduction Management
Phone: +49 / 305168440
hildebrandt@izw-berlin.de

Jan Stejskal
Safari Park Dvůr Králové
Director of Communications and International Projects
Phone: +420 / 608 009 072
jan.stejskal@zoodk.cz

Steven Seet
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW)
Head of Press Relations and Communications
Phone: +49 / 1778572673
seet@izw-berlin.de

Piefrancesco Biasetti
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW)
Scientist in the Department of Reproduction Management
Email: biasetti@izw-berlin.de

Brig. (Rtd) J.M. Waweru
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
Director-General
Phone: +254 (20) 2379407
Email: director@kws.go.ke; kws@kws.go.ke;