Sudan (rhinoceros)

Sudan

Sudan in June 2010
Species Northern White Rhinoceros
Sex Male
Born 1973 (age 4243)
Known for Last male of his subspecies left in the world[1]

Sudan (born 1973) is a captive Northern White Rhinoceros who lives at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya.[2] He is known for being the last male of his subspecies in the world and one of only three living Northern White Rhinoceroses in the world.

Early life

Sudan was born in Sudan (now South Sudan), caught in Shambe, South Sudan on November 19, 1973,[3] and shipped to the Dvůr Králové Zoo for their Northern White Rhinoceros display.[4] In December 2009, Sudan was moved from the Dvůr Králové Zoo (Czech Republic) to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy for a "Last Chance To Survive" breeding program. Along with three other Northern White Rhinoceroses, he was taken to Ol Pejeta Conservancy to create a more natural habitat for the animals to induce breeding.[5]

Sudan is the father of Nabire (dam: Nasima, studbook number 0351),[6] who was born November 15, 1983, and died in Dvůr Králové Zoo July, 2015.[7] He is also the father of Najin, who was transported to Ol Pejeta Conservancy along with him in 2009. Najin was born in 1989, again with the dam being Nasima. Sudan has sired only one other offspring besides Nabire and Najin.[4] Sudan is the grandfather of Fatu through his daughter Najin.[8] For breeding, Sudan's studbook number is 0372.[6]

Later life

Nargis Fakhri with Sudan in 2015

Breeding attempts with Sudan at the Conservancy have been unsuccessful.[9]

As one of the other three rhinos transported in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Suni, died at age 34 in 2014, Sudan lives there with his daughter Najin and granddaughter Fatu.

Northern White Rhinoceroses are guarded twenty four hours a day at the Conservancy to protect them from poaching, which is a major problem for rhinoceroses. The protection includes horn-imbedded transmitters, watchtowers, fences, drones, guard dogs, and trained armed guards around the clock.[10]

The second to last male in the world was Angalifu, who lived at the San Diego Zoo with Nola until his death on December 14, 2014. Angalifu was beyond breeding age, leaving Sudan as the only fertile male in the world even when Angalifu was alive.[11]

Support

In February 2015, Ol Pejeta launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the rangers guarding the rhinos[12][13] In May 2015, after contacting Ol Peyeta, Dubai-based Pakistani entrepreneurs Hamid Hussain and Muhammad Yaqoob started a global campaign to create awareness and bring people to Ol Pejeta to help in generating revenues for the IVF treatments and other forms of assisted reproduction by inviting celebrities to visit Ol Pejeta. Bollywood actress Nargis Fakhri was the first star to visit Sudan. She is to be followed by Pan-Arab movie star Khaled Abol Naga.[13][14]

References

  1. "ENDANGERED SPECIES Rare White Rhino Dies, Breed Close to Extinction". Discovery News. 20 Oct 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  2. Khomami, Nadia. "Death of white rhino in Kenya leaves only six animals alive in the world". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 Dec 2014.
  3. "In captivity". Papuan Animals. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Last Chance to Survive: Northern White Rhino Conservation Projec" (PDF). Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  5. Moshiri, Nazanine (4 Jan 2014). "Meeting the Northern white rhinos". Aljazeera. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 http://www2.rozhlas.cz/mlade/portal/vt000411b.htm
  7. "Události ČT: Ve Dvoře Králové oplakávají Nabiré" (in Czech). CT24.
  8. "Northern White Rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum cottoni". Redorbit. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  9. Catterick, Ally (9 Jan 2014). "Ol Pejeta Conservancy extends breeding plan for the northern white rhinoceros". Phys Org. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  10. "Last Chance to Survive - Northern White Rhino Conservation Project". Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  11. Boehrer, Katherine. "Only Six Northern White Rhinos Left In The World After Death At Wildlife Sanctuary". Huffington Post. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  12. http://www.gofundme.com/olpejeta
  13. 1 2 Rhino, Support. "Celebs to rhinos rescue". Yahoo News. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  14. http://www.trendinginsocial.com/dubai-based-pakistani-duo-hamid-hussain-and-muhammad-yaqoob-in-a-campaign-to-save-the-last-male-northern-white-rhino-from-extinction/
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