When Sudan died, he was 45 — relatively old for a rhinoceros. At Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy, his longtime keeper, Joseph Wachira, was among those gathered to say goodbye. A photo of them together in Sudan’s final moments, capturing Wachira pressing his head against the rhino’s weathered skin, would go on to become one of the year’s most iconic images.
When most rhinos die, even particularly beloved ones, it’s not international news. But Sudan was one of the last northern white rhinos in existence. His daughter and granddaughter, Najin and Fatu, are now the last remaining individuals. Because two females can’t breed, the northern white rhino could disappear within the decade.
The subspecies' odds may change: In recent years, scientists have explored cutting-edge reproductive technologies to create new northern white rhino embryos in the lab. Never before attempted, the technique could offer the species salvation.
