South Sudan Trust is hoping to reverse the extinction of the Northern White Rhino

Bold expedition to find 'extinct' Northern White Rhino in war-ravaged South Sudan

Report from The Daily Mirror - www.mirror.co.uk

By Nicola Methven

Dated 25 February 2020, 22:26

South Sudan Trust is hoping to reverse the extinction of the Northern White Rhino. 

Locals have reported sightings and believe the 'biologically extinct' species could exist in the country. A one-hour BBC special, The Last Unicorn, will track the bold search

The BBC is hoping to find the “extinct” Northern White Rhino with a bold ­expedition to war-ravaged South Sudan in Africa.

Locals have reported sightings and believe the “biologically extinct” species could exist in the country.

The civil conflict has made it too dangerous to film there for years and the Northern White was declared extinct in 2018 when the last male died.

Only two females remain – both are too old to reproduce – and they live under armed protection in Kenya.

Doug Hope, executive producer for the BBC’s Natural History Unit, said: “It is a long shot, but there are rumours of them out there, and in a place that is so remote, so unexplored.

Photo: These are the last remaining female Northern White Rhinos - Najin and Fatou (Image: BBC)

“From what our sources are telling us, it remains prime rhino habitat, so surely there is still a chance? And until this search is carried out we can’t close the book on the Northern White Rhino.”

A one-hour special, The Last Unicorn, will track the journey of Paul Naden, of charity Saving the Survivors, cameraman Vianet Djenguet, vet Johan Marais and high security expert Aldo Kane.

BBC2 boss Patrick Holland said: “Natural World has always covered the most urgent stories in conservation and this project could not be more timely.”

Photo: Vianet with the last white rhinos (Image: BBC)

Hundreds of thousands of people were killed and millions displaced in South Sudan’s civil war, which began in 2013 and was declared ended this month.

Once classified as the most dangerous place on the planet, the country has no permanent roads, electricity, phone networks or internet.

Scientists are planning to flood the black market with fake rhino horns in an attempt to thwart poachers.

Photo: Sudan, the legendary male Northern White Rhino who died (Image: SWNS.com)

A timeline of decline

1907 The Northern White is officially identified as a distinct species of rhino.

1960 Estimated numbers of over 2,000 in the wild made them more abundant than the Southern White Rhino.

1970 The numbers of Northern White Rhinos have halved in the past decade and are declining at an alarming rate.

1975 The continued decline in the species sees a Czech zoo import five as a precautionary measure.

1981 The Northern White rhino is declared critically endangered.

1984 It is reported that only 15 known Northern White rhinos are left in the wild. This number rises to 31 but poaching continues to thwart conservation efforts.

2008 The last official sighting of the Northern White Rhino in the wild with just six remaining in zoos.

2009 Four rhinos are shipped from the Czech zoo to Ol Pejeta in Kenya where it is hoped their natural environment will encourage them to breed.

2015 With the remaining rhinos in zoos dying, only three remain in Kenya.
2018 The last male Northern White dies, with only two infertile females remaining. The species is declared functionally extinct.

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