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World’s first rhino IVF pregnancy could save species that has only 2 living animals remaining
There are just two northern white rhinos left in the entire world – and they’re both female. But now, their species has a chance at survival, as researchers have for the first time achieved an IVF rhino pregnancy.
BioRescue Project, a reproduction technology nonprofit focused on saving threatened species, announced on Wednesday that the company saw the “world’s first successful embryo transfer in rhinos.” Achieving the feat, the company says, “paves the way for saving the northern white rhinos from extinction.”
White rhinos as a whole have seen declining numbers, largely due to poaching, the International Rhino Foundation says. There are two subspecies – the southern white rhino and the northern white rhino – the latter of which is considered extinct in the wild. Just two northern white rhinos remain in the world and reside in a 700-acre enclosure at Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where they have 24-hour armed security.
The embryo was not placed in one of the northern white rhinos. Instead, a southern white rhino embryo was produced and transferred into a southern white rhino surrogate mother at the conservancy. The embryo was placed on Sept. 24, BioRescue Project said, adding that they confirmed a pregnancy of “70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo.”
“The successful embryo transfer and pregnancy are a proof of concept and allow to now safely move to the transfer of northern white rhino embryos,” the group said on Facebook, “a cornerstone in the mission to save the northern white rhino from extinction.”
BioRescue uses an in-vitro approach called advanced assisted reproduction technologies (aART), which the group says is “the only option to create offspring for the northern white rhinoceros.” The group previously said that it performed 65 aART procedures from 2015 to 2022, and in a study published in the scientific journal “Reproduction,” they found that aART, which also includes retrieving immature egg cells from animals’ ovaries, “proved to be a guarantee for successful production of white rhino embryos.”
The group said its use of the procedures did not produce any indications of adverse effects on the health of animals subject to the procedures. Instead, they said there were “clear indications of health benefits.”
One of the northern white rhinos, Fatu, had a pathological cystic ovarian structure decrease from 50 milimeters to 15 milimeters in diameter over the course of three years and 10 egg retrievals, the group said, adding that they have not found any signs of the procedures hampering natural reproduction methods among animals.
“The health and wellbeing of the southern white rhino surrogate mother Curra and male southern white rhino teaser bull Ouwan was carefully monitored throughout the process,” the Ol Pejeta Conservancy said on Instagram. “Both healthy rhinos showed no complications or adverse effects of the procedure.”
However, in November, both parent rhinos were found dead, they said.
“It was discovered that extremely heavy, climate change-related rains led to a flooding of the surrogate enclosure and set free dormant Clostridia bacteria spores which had infected and killed both rhinos,” the conservancy said. “…Quick action prevented any further rhino deaths.”
While researchers continue to monitor the developing embryo, the conservancy said the hope is to eventually complete an embryo transfer with a northern white rhino, allowing scientists to save the species.
The Republican National Committee’s 2024 platform, approved by its platform committee and released Monday, is influenced heavily by presumptive presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump, and in a change from prior years, it backs the rights of states to make their own abortion laws.
The 2016 RNC platform mentioned the word “abortion” 35 times and backed a constitutional amendment to ban abortion: “[W]e assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed,” the RNC’s 2016 platform said. “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth.”
The Republican Party did not release a platform in 2020. And the 2024 platform only mentions the word once.
“We proudly stand for families and life,” the 2024 platform says. “We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process,” but it goes on to say, “the states are, therefore, free to pass laws protecting those rights.”
The platform has been initially approved by the RNC committee, but is expected to go to a full vote Tuesday and be officially approved the first day of the Republican National Convention next week.
It also goes on to express opposition to late-term abortion and support for “policies that advance prenatal care, access to birth control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”
Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom coalition, previously expressed concerns about removing abortion language, but he appeared to fall in line and back the GOP platform as released.
“The Republican Party platform makes clear the unborn child has a right to life that is protected by the Constitution under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment,” Reed said in a statement. “That language has been in the GOP platform for 40 years and reflects the view of Ronald Reagan. While aspirational, it applies to both the states and the federal government. The proposed ban on late-term abortion also implies federal as well as state action. It is an unapologetically pro-life position, and we are grateful to President Trump and the Republican Party for standing for life.”
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-chair Lara Trump focused on the economy and the border in their statement on the platform.
“Only President Trump can restore our economy, restore our southern border, and restore America’s standing in the world,” the two RNC leaders said in a joint statement. “His 2024 Republican Party Platform is a bold roadmap that will undo the devastating damage that Joe Biden’s far-left policies have done to this country, power President Trump to a historic victory in November, and Make America Great Again.”
The platform is titled, “2024 GOP Platform: Make America Great Again!” It bears clear signs of the former president’s influence, emphasizing enforcing border security and stopping the “migrant crime epidemic.” The platform includes a goal to carry out “the largest deportation operation in American history.”
The platform also proposes building a “great iron dome missile defense shield over our entire country.”
Trump and his campaign have also adopted a new proposal in recent months — eliminating taxes on tips. Trump mentions it frequently at rallies, and it appears in the RNC 2024 platform, along with a promise to end inflation, which has been easing.
The GOP also states in the platform that there will be no cuts to Social Security or Medicare and no changes to the retirement age. It also says that the push for electric vehicles should be canceled and regulations should be cut. And it calls for “same day voting, voter identification, paper ballots, and proof of citizenship” as means to “secure our elections.”
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