Rhino 'bachelor' dies of old age

NAIROBI, Kenya - The world's last male northern white rhino, Sudan, has died after "age-related complications", researchers said on Tuesday, saying he "stole the heart of many with his dignity and strength".

A statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya said the 45-year-old rhino was euthanized on Monday after his condition "worsened significantly" and he was no longer able to stand. His muscles and bones had degenerated and his skin had extensive wounds, with a deep leg infection.

The rhino had been part of an effort to save the subspecies from extinction after decades of decimation by poachers, with the help of the two surviving females. One is his daughter, Najin, and the other is her daughter, Fatu.

His death won't have an impact on the efforts to save the subspecies, as the focus turns to in vitro fertilization techniques using stored semen from other dead rhinos and eggs extracted from the two remaining females.

"He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity," said the conservancy's CEO, Richard Vigne.

Sudan was something of a celebrity, attracting thousands of visitors. Last year he was listed as "The Most Eligible Bachelor in the World" on the Tinder dating app in a fundraising effort.

The rhino was born in Sudan, the last of his kind to be born in the wild. He was taken to a Czech zoo and then transferred to Kenya in 2009 with the three other remaining fertile northern white rhinos at the time.

They were placed under 24-hour armed guard and fed a special diet.

"However, despite the fact that they were seen mating, there were no successful pregnancies," the conservancy said.

Ol Pejeta said that they had collected Sudan's genetic material on Monday that could be used in future to attempt reproduction of northern white rhinos.

Sudan's death "is a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him. But we should not give up," said Jan Stejskal, director of international projects at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic.

"It may sound unbelievable, but thanks to the newly developed techniques even Sudan could still have an offspring."

AP - Reuters