A rhinoceros is pregnant from embryo transfer in a success that may help nearly extinct subspecies

A rhinoceros is pregnant through embryo transfer in the first successful use of a method that conservationists said could be used to try to save the nearly extinct northern white rhino subspecies

NAIROBI, Kenya -- A rhinoceros is pregnant through embryo transfer in the first successful use of a method that conservationists said might later make it possible to save the nearly extinct northern white rhino subspecies.

In testing with another subspecies, the researchers created a southern white rhino embryo in a lab from an egg and sperm that had been previously collected from other rhinos and transferred it into a southern white rhino surrogate mother at the Ol-Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on Sept. 24, 2023.

The surrogate is now 70 days pregnant with a well-developed 6.4-centimeter (2.5-inch) male embryo, the BioRescue consortium of scientists and conservationists said Wednesday.

“The successful embryo transfer and pregnancy are a proof of concept and allow (researchers) to now safely move to the transfer of northern white rhino embryos — a cornerstone in the mission to save the northern white rhino from extinction,” the group said in a statement.

Pregnancies in rhinos last about 16-18 months, meaning the birth may occur early next year.