Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Scientists Create Hybrids in Race to Save Rhino Subspecies

by Associated Press

   BERLIN --

   Scientists say they're several steps closer to perfecting a method for
   saving the northern white rhino from extinction.

   Writing in the journal Nature Communications, researchers said
   Wednesday that they had succeeded in creating embryos using frozen
   northern white rhino sperm and eggs from a southern white rhino.

   It's the first time such hybrid embryos have been created, and the
   scientists from Europe and the United States hope it will provide a
   pathway to saving the northern white rhino subspecies, of which only
   two females remain.

   They plan to harvest the females' egg cells soon and produce "pure''
   northern white rhinos to be borne by a southern white surrogate in
   three years. They're also working on a second method that would see
   sperm and eggs produced from preserved cells of northern white rhinos.