The last remaining male northern white rhino, Sudan, passed away in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on March 19 2018.

In response to this news, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Bas Huijbregts, African species manager:

“This is a wake-up call to humankind that our actions have irreversible consequences for the species we cherish. Though it's too late to change the fate of the northern white rhino, if we learn from our mistakes and commit to not repeating them, there’s still plenty we can save. More urgently than ever we need to protect functioning ecosystems on which large mammals depend, and to fight the illegal wildlife trade which doomed Sudan and his kind, so that the world’s remaining rhinos do not meet the same end.”

Heather Sohl, chief adviser for wildlife at WWF said: “The death of Sudan is heartbreaking. We’re seeing the extinction of the northern white rhino happen right before our eyes, driven by the insatiable demand for their horns. To ensure other wildlife doesn’t suffer this fate, we need strong action such as cutting demand, cracking down on corruption, and improving enforcement.”