Sudan is a gentle giant, and the last living male of his kind in the world.
Sadly, the 45-year-old Northern white rhinoceros, who lives at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, is gravely ill and not expected to recover from his ailing condition, reports the BBC .
The lonely rhino, whose story was shared by PEOPLE in November 2017 , along with the two other known living females of his species, are protected from poachers by a 24-hour armed guard. However, even armed guards can’t save the animal from illness.
Ol Pejeta Sanctuary recently shared a photo of Sudan (on right) by wildlife photographer Ami Vitale who writes, “[Sudan] has developed a serious infection and his caregivers at Ol Pejeta Sanctuary (@olpejeta) are working hard to keep him healthy and comfortable. @olpej says, ‘Even though he is now old and ailing; Sudan has been an inspirational figure for many across the world for years. Thousands have trooped to Ol Pejeta to see him and he has helped raise awareness for rhino conservation to millions worldwide. The two female northern white rhinos left on the planet – Najin and Fatu – are his direct descendants. Research into new Assisted Reproductive Techniques for large mammals is underway due to him. The impact that this special animal has had on conservation is simply incredible.’ And there is still hope in the future that the subspecies might be restored through IVF.”
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Such a shame.
Related News: Given all the news today about Trump's nutty tariff policy and the fact that Mueller is making real progress, this article today slipped under the radar:
Trump administration once again lifts elephant trophy ban
The Trump administration has quietly decided once again to allow Americans to import the body parts of African elephants shot for sport, despite presidential tweets decrying the practice as a "horror show."
(Read it all)
The problem is poachers, not a few trophy hunters. Most of the poachers are neither white nor well off.
Sadly this reversal isn't surprising at all....