Remember the sad story of the sole surviving Sumatran rhino named Iman?
Well, here's some good news: scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Germany, have successfully harvested one egg cell from the animal.
What this means is that we have hope of a possible offspring that can continue the lineage of the animal.
The Star Online reported that the egg cell, known as oocyte, was harvested by Prof Thomas Hildebrandt and his team.
The oocyte was then taken to the Reproductive Innovation Center for Wildlife and Livestock at Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in Sandakan.
According to the news portal, the plan is to use the in vitro fertilisation method to combine Iman’s egg and sperm cells from a male Sumatran rhino that was previously under the care of the Borneo Rhino Alliance.
Prof Arief Boediono from Bogor Agriculture University in Indonesia reportedly will use the thawed frozen sperm from Tam, who died of renal failure in May this year, for the procedure.
Despite the slim glimmer of hope, Borneo Rhino Alliance executive director Datuk Junaidi Payne is doubtful that they could save the entire species.
“There are simply not enough wild Sumatran rhinos left alive to save the species. Advanced reproductive technology can ensure that the living genomes of those rhinos are kept alive long after their deaths.
“This attempt in Sabah is great but yet another wasted opportunity — if Indonesia had agreed to provide fresh semen from one of their three young males, the chance of success this time would have been greater,” he was quoted by The Star Online as saying.
Whatever it is, let’s hope that this works!
Well, here's some good news: scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Germany, have successfully harvested one egg cell from the animal.
What this means is that we have hope of a possible offspring that can continue the lineage of the animal.
The Star Online reported that the egg cell, known as oocyte, was harvested by Prof Thomas Hildebrandt and his team.
The oocyte was then taken to the Reproductive Innovation Center for Wildlife and Livestock at Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in Sandakan.
According to the news portal, the plan is to use the in vitro fertilisation method to combine Iman’s egg and sperm cells from a male Sumatran rhino that was previously under the care of the Borneo Rhino Alliance.
Prof Arief Boediono from Bogor Agriculture University in Indonesia reportedly will use the thawed frozen sperm from Tam, who died of renal failure in May this year, for the procedure.
Despite the slim glimmer of hope, Borneo Rhino Alliance executive director Datuk Junaidi Payne is doubtful that they could save the entire species.
“There are simply not enough wild Sumatran rhinos left alive to save the species. Advanced reproductive technology can ensure that the living genomes of those rhinos are kept alive long after their deaths.
“This attempt in Sabah is great but yet another wasted opportunity — if Indonesia had agreed to provide fresh semen from one of their three young males, the chance of success this time would have been greater,” he was quoted by The Star Online as saying.
Whatever it is, let’s hope that this works!
