This is What Extinction Looks Like
March 20, 2018 5:24 AM Subscribe
Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, has died. Two females of the subspecies remain.
I wonder if someone will float the idea of auctioning the right to shoot the two surviving rhinos to greedy alpha-sociopaths, with an 8-figure starting bid price: they get to be the indisputably über-dominant alpha-titan who killed the last of a species (which was doomed anyway), for the low price of 1/5 of a superyacht, which could be spent on saving other species.
posted by acb at 5:28 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by acb at 5:28 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
It’s even worse:
One of the huge hurdles facing scientists is that the two remaining female northern white rhinos cannot gestate the next generation — one is sterile and the other is not physically capable of carrying a calf full term.
posted by TedW at 5:37 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
One of the huge hurdles facing scientists is that the two remaining female northern white rhinos cannot gestate the next generation — one is sterile and the other is not physically capable of carrying a calf full term.
posted by TedW at 5:37 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
. I am so sorry.
posted by Elly Vortex at 5:53 AM on March 20, 2018
posted by Elly Vortex at 5:53 AM on March 20, 2018
There used to be two at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. I got to see them in 2010, though they both passed of natural causes since them. Here is a picture I took of Nola, a female, taking a nap.
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posted by MrGuilt at 6:22 AM on March 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
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posted by MrGuilt at 6:22 AM on March 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
This is sad to read. Lately the news about the environment has felt like watching a slow-motion train wreck -- the trajectory is clear, but the momentum feels irresistible.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:26 AM on March 20, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 6:26 AM on March 20, 2018 [7 favorites]
Sorrowful news.
Surely this post needs to be edited to say "the last male northern white rhino". He isn't the last: one of the two females will be.
posted by rory at 6:27 AM on March 20, 2018 [8 favorites]
Surely this post needs to be edited to say "the last male northern white rhino". He isn't the last: one of the two females will be.
posted by rory at 6:27 AM on March 20, 2018 [8 favorites]
The end of the article has a slim ray of hope:
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:31 AM on March 20, 2018 [8 favorites]
"But then, as far as their propagation is concerned, we are happy that at least we collected some sperm from him and the other males," Ngulu said.Like I said, slim, but it's there.
One of the huge hurdles facing scientists is that the two remaining female northern white rhinos cannot gestate the next generation — one is sterile and the other is not physically capable of carrying a calf full term.
"So, natural reproduction cannot take place, artificial insemination is not possible, so the only other option that we have to have a pure northern white rhino baby is to retrieve or to do something we call ovum pick-up, collect eggs from the females," Ngulu said.
Those fertilized eggs would then be implanted in a southern white rhino, who would carry the calf to term. Taking eggs from a rhino, though, has never been done. If and when scientists take that risk, there's a chance that the females could perish — bringing the species to extinction.
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:31 AM on March 20, 2018 [8 favorites]
,
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:52 AM on March 20, 2018
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:52 AM on March 20, 2018
> I wonder if someone will float the idea of auctioning the right to shoot the two surviving rhinos to greedy alpha-sociopaths [...]
I think you just did.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:55 AM on March 20, 2018
I think you just did.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:55 AM on March 20, 2018
I'm a lone rhinoceros
There ain't one hell of a lots of us
Left in this world
posted by jazon at 7:16 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
There ain't one hell of a lots of us
Left in this world
posted by jazon at 7:16 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
I think you just did.
On the Blue doesn't count. It's like Chatham House rules or something.
posted by acb at 7:20 AM on March 20, 2018
On the Blue doesn't count. It's like Chatham House rules or something.
posted by acb at 7:20 AM on March 20, 2018
The problem with ovum collection as an idea is that the two females are Sudan's daughters and already quite inbred.
There's a concept called extinction debt that means the conditions for the species's extinction have already been met, it's not going to be able to reproduce as a viable population in the future, even if there are still some individuals hanging around. The Northern white rhino effectively went extinct years ago. We've just been waiting for the repo guys to come.
posted by Jeanne at 7:25 AM on March 20, 2018 [18 favorites]
There's a concept called extinction debt that means the conditions for the species's extinction have already been met, it's not going to be able to reproduce as a viable population in the future, even if there are still some individuals hanging around. The Northern white rhino effectively went extinct years ago. We've just been waiting for the repo guys to come.
posted by Jeanne at 7:25 AM on March 20, 2018 [18 favorites]
.
posted by _Synesthesia_ at 7:30 AM on March 20, 2018
posted by _Synesthesia_ at 7:30 AM on March 20, 2018
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Heartbreaking. And so many more extinctions to come. Soon wild animals will be stories only, and nothing left to see for future generations.
posted by Kitteh at 7:36 AM on March 20, 2018
Heartbreaking. And so many more extinctions to come. Soon wild animals will be stories only, and nothing left to see for future generations.
posted by Kitteh at 7:36 AM on March 20, 2018
Because the linked article did not mention it: Let's be clear, the extinction of these rhinos can be primarily attributed to believers in traditional Chinese medicine, which is threatening the extinction of numerous species, including tigers, black bears, pangolins, lions, and manta rays.
The market for these products extends far beyond China itself, but China is the largest market, and the Chinese government continues to do very little to curb the supply or demand within its borders.
This extinction is terrible, even more so because it was completely avoidable. And there will be more as long as millions of people believe that eating rhino horns, tiger penises, and lion bones will cure their impotence.
posted by jedicus at 7:44 AM on March 20, 2018 [15 favorites]
The market for these products extends far beyond China itself, but China is the largest market, and the Chinese government continues to do very little to curb the supply or demand within its borders.
This extinction is terrible, even more so because it was completely avoidable. And there will be more as long as millions of people believe that eating rhino horns, tiger penises, and lion bones will cure their impotence.
posted by jedicus at 7:44 AM on March 20, 2018 [15 favorites]
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posted by limeonaire at 8:03 AM on March 20, 2018
posted by limeonaire at 8:03 AM on March 20, 2018
.
Relatedly, the Mountain Goats, Deuteronomy 2:10
posted by praemunire at 8:08 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
Relatedly, the Mountain Goats, Deuteronomy 2:10
posted by praemunire at 8:08 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yes this is firmly on believers in Chinese medicine not hunters. Chinese animal medicine is nothing but magical thinking and com artistry. It's one of the biggest threats to wildlife worldwide, many other species are also at risk. China needs to do something and soon.
posted by fshgrl at 8:42 AM on March 20, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 8:42 AM on March 20, 2018 [7 favorites]
Things like this make me really, really hate our species.
posted by dendritejungle at 9:15 AM on March 20, 2018
posted by dendritejungle at 9:15 AM on March 20, 2018
Mod note: With OP permission, edited post to add 'male'.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:51 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:51 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
Gray whale
Now that we are sending you to The End
That great god
Tell him
That we who follow you invented forgiveness
And forgive nothing
.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:25 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
Now that we are sending you to The End
That great god
Tell him
That we who follow you invented forgiveness
And forgive nothing
.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:25 AM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
.
Wow, if you don't want to be simultaneously enraged and sickened, stay away from the wikipedia entry on animal sources for traditional Chinese medicine. Suffice it to say that the abuse of animals goes way beyond just unsustainable hunting.
Unfortunately Chinese wikipedia is still blocked entirely in China.
posted by TreeRooster at 10:37 AM on March 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
Wow, if you don't want to be simultaneously enraged and sickened, stay away from the wikipedia entry on animal sources for traditional Chinese medicine. Suffice it to say that the abuse of animals goes way beyond just unsustainable hunting.
Unfortunately Chinese wikipedia is still blocked entirely in China.
posted by TreeRooster at 10:37 AM on March 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
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posted by twilightlost at 12:18 PM on March 20, 2018
posted by twilightlost at 12:18 PM on March 20, 2018
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posted by brambleboy at 1:51 PM on March 20, 2018
posted by brambleboy at 1:51 PM on March 20, 2018
The really crazy bit about the Chinese impotence angle is that we have plenty of very effective, cheap, easily accessible drugs that will do the job for you. Aside from limited placebo effects I highly doubt that rhino horn is helpful in giving you a stiffy.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:21 PM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Meatbomb at 2:21 PM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
But like many things in China, appearance can trump reality... the super expensive last dose from an extinct species is the ultimate veblen good.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:23 PM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Meatbomb at 2:23 PM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
I am so disappointed in humans.
posted by MountainDaisy at 6:57 PM on March 20, 2018
posted by MountainDaisy at 6:57 PM on March 20, 2018
Next up: Black rhinos, wombats, wild camels, sumatran orangutans and elephants, iberian lynx, leatherback turtle, south china tiger, amur leopard, pangolin, everything in the ocean, homo sapiens
posted by agregoli at 7:55 AM on March 21, 2018
posted by agregoli at 7:55 AM on March 21, 2018
Happens to 99% of us periodically.
posted by GoblinHoney at 3:40 PM on March 21, 2018
posted by GoblinHoney at 3:40 PM on March 21, 2018
This made me cry. Explaining to people how female rhinos become unable to reproduce if they aren’t mating regularly has been something I’ve done a lot in the last few days. Explaining that with megafauna it really is necessary to have natural mating, that assisted reproduction probably won’t work. The surviving females are a daughter and grand-daughter. They refused to mate with him.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 6:21 PM on March 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 6:21 PM on March 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
My lovely sister works for Save the Rhino in the UK, and I asked her about the sperm they collected before poor Sudan died, she said that to combine it with ovum collection costs millions of pounds and with the difficult fundraising they wonder whether this money would be best spent here or on other endangered species of rhinos. Such sad news.
posted by ellieBOA at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Wired has a write-up on a plan to use revive the species:
posted by filthy light thief at 11:45 AM on March 26, 2018
In what [Professor Thomas Hildebrandt] calls a race against time, he plans to deploy IVF techniques and fly to Kenya to collect eggs from the ageing females, Fatu and Najin, in May or June via a method called ovum pick-up. The incubated eggs will be flown from Ol Pejeta via Nairobi to Zurich and then onto Cremona in Italy where Cesare Galli, who specialises in assisted reproduction of large animals, will mature and fertilise them and develop embryos suitable for transfer. They will then be implanted in southern white rhino surrogates – neither Fatu nor Najin are able to carry calves themselves – in the hope they will carry them to full term.Someone is willing to spend the money to potentially undo some of the past disasters of people.
“It’s very foreseeable in the near future that we’ll have offspring,” Hildebrandt said.
Even if Hildebrandt and his team manage to produce a lot of offspring from the two females using IVF with the frozen semen they have, they will be unable to achieve the necessary biological variety to create a long-term sustainable population, he said.
Which is where stem cell research is crucial. Within the next three to five years the institute should be able to use skin cell samples taken in 2014 from Sudan and other northern white rhinos, add genes to them in order to turn them into stem-cells, and encourage them to become eggs. These would be fertilised with the sperm samples stored by Hildebrandt to create test-tube rhinos which southern white rhino surrogates would, it is hoped, carry to term, producing genetically-variable offspring.
The brains behind the stem cell technology are those of Katsuhiko Hayashi who in 2016 made headlines after he successfully used mice stem cells to grow eggs which produced healthy offspring.
“This technology will provides us with the missing link,” Hildebrandt said.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:45 AM on March 26, 2018
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posted by Fizz at 5:26 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]