Northern White Rhino at Ol Pejeta Conservancy / MARTIN MAKAU / KWSKenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has continued to demonstrate commitment to wildlife conservation by being a member of the Biorescue consortium.
The Service is making an effort to secure the future of the critically endangered Northern White Rhino (NWR).
At the close of February 2025, the Biorescue team undertook two key activities at Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
The team is headed by Isaac Lekolool, the Senior Assistant Director and Head of Veterinary and Capture Services at KWS, with support from Jeremiah Poghon, the Senior Principal Veterinary Officer and Regional Veterinarian for the Mountain Conservation Area.
The first procedure was a sterility check on 'Jomo', a Southern White Rhino teaser bull that plays a critical role in detecting estrus in the female surrogate Southern White Rhinos in preparation for embryo transfer.
This ensured his sterility is imperative to prevent the risk of impregnation of the Southern White Rhino surrogate females during the surrogacy process.
On the second day, the team turned their attention to Daly, one of the selected surrogate mothers under the NWR ARP.
A pregnancy check was conducted to confirm her status and suitability as an ideal candidate for carrying a NWR embryo to term.
For the ARP to succeed, it is essential that the surrogate mother is not already pregnant and the reproductive tract is healthy to ensure she can safely carry a Northern White Rhino embryo.
Northern White Rhino at Ol Pejeta Conservancy / MARTIN MAKAU / KWSThe project, now in its seventh year, is one of the most ambitious and innovative wildlife conservation efforts globally.
With only two surviving Northern White Rhino females left in the world, advanced reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization and surrogacy represent the species' best hope for survival. Through this initiative, conservationists aim to reintroduce majestic species to their natural habitat in the sub-Saharan savanna.
As the government’s agency mandated to conserve and protect wildlife, KWS’s pivotal role in the initiative underscores its dedication to safeguarding Kenya’s rich biodiversity.
The initiative is part of a collaborative effort by the Biorescue Consortium, which brings together Kenya Wildlife Service, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research-Berlin, Safari Park Dvůr Králové-Czech Republic and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute-Kenya.
Others are Avantea Laboratories-Italy, Padua University-Italy, Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Kyushu University-Japan and Ol Pejeta Conservancy, among other partners.
