Remembering Sudan, the last white rhino in the north

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The illustration dates back to that day in 2009, when Sudan and three white rhinos arrived at their new home at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya.

Before moving rhinos, the species had been declared extinct in the wild.

In 1976, Sudan moved to the Dvůr Králové Zoo, then Czechoslovakia, hoping to save the subspecies. He had two children and a grandson, who were part of the group that moved to its natural habitat in Kenya.

Sudan lived alone on a 10-acre enclosure, with 24-hour guards.

Sudan died at the age of 45 in 2018 and left only two of these species, their daughters, in the wild.

Scientists told CNN at the time of his death that part of Sudan’s genetic material had been saved and hoped to use in vitro fertilization to recover the subspecies.

“At the very least, Sudan is an ambassador for so many other species that need our attention,” National Geographic photographer Ami Vitale told CNN at the time.

“It can be an amazing wake – up call. Even if you live 10,000 miles away, you can make a difference with your conscience or your tourist dollars.

“Not everything is lost. Even if we don’t save the northern white rhino, we can save the other endangered rhinos and a lot of lesser known species whose number is declining everywhere.”

Kyle Almond contributed to this report.

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