The world’s last male northern white rhino has died leaving only two females left to save the species from extinction.
The 45-year-old rhino named Sudan had been in poor health in recent days and was being treated for age-related issues and multiple infections.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy said in a statement it had made the decision with wildlife officials and his previous carers to euthanise on Monday the 45-year-old rhino due to the rapid deterioration in his condition.
“He was a gentle giant, his personality was just amazing and given his size, a lot of people were afraid of him. But there was nothing mean about him,” said Elodie Sampere, a representative for Ol Pejeta.
Sudan had previously lived at the Dver Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic before being transported to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, about 250 km north of Nairobi, where he lived with the last two females of the same species, 27-year old Najin and 17-year old Fatu.
Following the rhino’s demise, WildAid CEO Peter Knights said, “We can only hope that the world learns from the sad loss of Sudan and takes every measure to end all trade in rhino horn. While prices of rhino horn are falling in China and Vietnam, poaching for horn still threatens all rhino species.”
