Sudan (rhinoceros) facts for kids
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Sudan in 2015
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| Species | Northern white rhinoceros |
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| Sex | Male |
| Born | c. 1973 Southern Sudan, Sudan |
| Died | 19 March 2018 (aged 44–45) Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia, Kenya |
| Known for | Last known male of his subspecies in the world |
Sudan was a very special northern white rhinoceros born around 1973. He lived at a zoo in the Czech Republic for many years, from 1975 to 2009. Later, he moved to a wildlife park called Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. When he passed away on March 19, 2018, he was the very last male of his kind on Earth. He was given a peaceful end because he was very old and sick.
Contents
Sudan's Early Life and Capture
Sudan was born in the wild in Southern Sudan around 1973. In February 1975, when he was just two years old, he was captured. He was part of a group of six northern white rhinos caught in Shambe National Park in South Sudan. Animal trappers working for Chipperfield's Circus caught them. This was done with an agreement from Josef Vágner, who was the director of the Dvůr Králové Zoo in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic).
The group included two males, Sudan and Saut, and four females: Nola, Nuri, Nadi, and Nesari. Even back then, there were only about 700 northern white rhinos left in the wild. Some people felt it was better to leave the rhinos in nature. However, the Dvůr Králové Zoo wanted to help save the species. They already had the biggest collection of African animals outside of Africa.
Life in the Czech Republic Zoo
In 1975, Sudan and the other rhinos were sent to the Dvůr Králové Zoo. This zoo was special because it was the only place in the world where northern white rhinos had successfully had babies. The last calf was born there in 2000.
A few years later, another rhino named Nasima joined the group. She came from Uganda and had been living at Knowsley Safari Park in England. One of the male rhinos, Saut, was later sent to the San Diego Zoo in the United States.
Efforts to Help Rhinos Reproduce
By 1980, northern white rhinos had almost disappeared from Uganda and Sudan. Only 13 were left in Garamba National Park in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). In 1986, experts met at the Dvůr Králové Zoo. They discussed how to save the few remaining northern white rhinos.
To help with breeding, an older male rhino named Ben was brought from London in 1986. Saut, who was part of the original group, also returned from San Diego Zoo in 1998. Scientists tried to get the northern white rhinos to breed with southern rhinos, but it was not very successful. They also collected and saved genetic material, including Sudan's semen.
Sudan's Offspring
Sudan became a father to three calves while living in the Czech Republic. He also became a grandfather.
- His first calf was Nabire, born in 1983. Nabire passed away at the Dvůr Králové Zoo in 2015.
- His second calf was Najin, born in 1989. Najin later moved to Kenya with Sudan.
- Sudan also had a third calf, but it was born too early and did not survive.
- Sudan was the grandfather of Fatu, who is Najin's daughter.
Challenges in Reproduction
By 2014, there was only one other male northern white rhino left in the world besides Sudan. His name was Angalifu, and he lived at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Angalifu was too old to have babies. This meant Sudan was the only male northern white rhino who could still father calves.
In 2008, experts met again at the Dvůr Králové Zoo. They decided that Sudan and his group should move from the Czech Republic to Africa. The idea was that a more natural home might help them breed. Some people disagreed, thinking that breeding efforts should continue in Europe.
Moving Back to Kenya
In December 2009, Sudan and three other northern white rhinos were moved to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. This was called a "Last Chance To Survive" breeding program. Everyone hoped that the natural environment in Kenya would help the rhinos have babies. Sadly, Sudan did not have any more calves at Ol Pejeta.
One of the other rhinos, Suni, passed away in 2014. After that, Sudan lived his final years with his daughter Najin and his granddaughter Fatu.
Northern white rhinos are very rare and valuable. They are protected 24 hours a day at the conservancy to keep them safe from poachers. Poaching is a big problem where people illegally hunt animals. The rhinos have special protection, including guards, watchtowers, fences, drones, and even guard dogs.
Sudan's Final Days
Towards the end of 2017, Sudan got an infection in his right back leg. He seemed to get better for a while, but the infection came back in March 2018. His health became very bad, even with a lot of care. Sudan was given a peaceful end on March 19, 2018, because he was suffering from problems due to his old age.
Before Sudan passed away, the CEO of Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Richard Vigne, said that Sudan had not been able to have babies for many years. So, his passing would not change the chances of saving the northern white rhino species.
Today, you can see a display of Sudan's skin and Nabire's skeleton at the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic.
Scientific Efforts to Save the Species
Even after Sudan's passing, scientists are still working hard to save the northern white rhino. A spokesperson from Dvůr Králové Zoo said that new technologies could help. They believe that even Sudan could still have offspring.
Scientists are now trying to use a method called in vitro fertilization (IVF). This means they are trying to create rhino embryos in a lab. They are using eggs from Najin and Fatu and semen that was saved from Sudan and other male rhinos. They plan to put these embryos into female southern white rhinos, who will act as surrogate mothers.
So far, scientists have collected eggs from two females and semen from five males. In 2019, they successfully created three embryos. These embryos are now being kept safely in a lab. Since Najin and Fatu cannot carry a pregnancy themselves, the plan is to use southern white rhinos to carry the babies.
Support for Rhino Conservation
Many people and organizations have helped raise money and awareness for the northern white rhinos.
- In February 2015, Ol Pejeta Conservancy started a fundraising campaign to help pay for the rangers who guard the rhinos.
- Later in 2015, some business people from Dubai started a global campaign. They wanted to bring people to Ol Pejeta Conservancy to help raise money for IVF treatments and other ways to help rhinos reproduce. Famous people like actors Nargis Fakhri and Khaled Abol Naga visited Sudan to help.
- In 2017, Ol Pejeta Conservancy worked with the Tinder app. They created a Tinder profile for Sudan, asking users to "swipe right" to donate money. This helped raise funds for new breeding methods.
- On December 20, 2020, Google honored Sudan with a special picture on its homepage called a Google Doodle.
Images for kids
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Sudan in 2015
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Sudan at the Ol Pejeta conservancy, June 2010
See also
In Spanish: Sudán (rinoceronte) para niños
