Only two northern white rhinoceroses roam — a mother and daughter born in a European zoo and now living on a reserve in Kenya.

Though seemingly doomed, scientists believe they’ve discovered a way to preserve the white rhinos through in vitro fertilization.

They’ve extracted eggs from Najin and Fatu then fertilized them in a laboratory with sperm collected years ago from a pair of now dead male white rhinos.

One hurdle remains before those embryos can become a new generation of white rhinos: a surrogate is needed. Najin is too old to give birth and Fatu has a uterine issue that makes pregnancy impossible. Scientists are looking to a female southern white rhino. A recent successful surrogate pregnancy at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park gives officials hope.

As the world marvels at the possibility of saving white rhinos, cognizance is demanded: There are about 23,000 endangered species of plants and animals around the globe, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In this country, the Fish and Wildlife Service counts 1,500 species as endangered or threatened.

Saving endangered species is about more than the worthy effort to preserve rare animals for the sake of saving them. The planet’s ecosystem — and human survival — rely on a complex and delicate system of biodiversity that is threatened when species disappear.

First Published: September 18, 2019, 10:30 a.m.