Rhino eggs fertilised

SEVEN eggs from the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos have been fertilised artificially, reviving hope of saving the endangered animals, scientists said.

The world’s last male northern white rhinoceros, a 45-year-old named Sudan, died last year in Kenya, leaving only the two surviving females of the species.

Najin and Fatu are Sudan’s daughter and granddaughter and the three animals lived together at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, about 250km north of Nairobi, where Sudan died.

The scientists said yesterday they harvested 10 eggs from Najin and Fatu and that seven of those had been successfully matured and artificially inseminated on Sunday.

The team of scientists is led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin.