The Last Two | Northern White Rhinoceros

About this episode

Chris explores the story of the northern white rhinoceros and the efforts to save it from extinction.

Chris explores the heartbreaking story of the northern white rhinoceros, now reduced to the last two surviving females, Najin and Fatu, living under armed protection in Kenya. The episode traces how poaching, habitat loss, political instability, and human demand drove a once widespread animal to the edge of extinction, while contrasting their fate with the recovery of southern white rhinos. Chris also examines the extraordinary scientific efforts underway to create northern white rhino embryos using advanced reproductive technology, raising profound questions about extinction, conservation, human responsibility, and whether science can truly save what humanity nearly destroyed. Timeline 00:00 Welcome and premise 00:28 Last two rhinos 01:47 North vs south 04:38 Najin and Fatu 08:16 Quiet extinction 13:21 Why they vanished 19:38 Horn trade pressures 23:22 Hope runs out 24:55 Lab rescue plan 30:37 Making embryos 36:56 Frozen zoo ethics 44:35 Tech vs prevention 51:24 Final reflections == Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to…

People in this episode

Host: Chris

Topics covered

• northern white rhinoceros
• extinction
• conservation
• reproductive technology
• poaching
• habitat loss
• human responsibility

Keywords

• northern white rhinoceros
• Najin
• Fatu
• extinction
• conservation
• reproductive technology
• poaching
• habitat loss

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Patreon, conservation organizations

Places: Kenya, northern white rhinoceros, southern white rhinos

More episodes of All Creatures Podcast

• Bull Sharks: Masters of Two Worlds (Classic) · June 8, 2026 · 1h 23m
• The Wisdom of Trees: What Forests Can Teach Humanity · June 3, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Red Pandas: The Forest Guardians Disappearing in Silence (Classic) · June 1, 2026 · 1h 19m
• Warthogs: Africa’s Toughest Underdogs (Classic) · May 25, 2026 · 1h 21m
• Saving Sumatran Tigers w/Leif Cocks · May 20, 2026 · 55 min
• Humpback Whales: Ocean Engineers of the Deep (classic) · May 18, 2026 · 1h 19m