This photograph captures a moment of fragile hope: the world’s first IVF rhino pregnancy, a tiny foetus that reignited optimism among scientists fighting to save the northern white rhino from extinction. There are only two female northern white rhinos left on the planet – Najin and her daughter Fatu. Neither can carry a pregnancy due to health complications. The last male died in 2018 and that makes the species functionally extinct.
For the past 15 years, the BioRescue Project – an international consortium dedicated to saving the species – has been collecting and preserving sperm from deceased males. Using this genetic material and egg cells from Fatu, they’ve created 38 embryos. It may sound like a lot, but it’s not. Since Najin and Fatu cannot carry a pregnancy, surrogate mothers are essential and it was decided to use southern white rhinos, a less endangered subspecies. The team also needed to prove that their technique would work with southern white rhino embryos before transferring any of the northern white rhino embryos into a surrogate.
After 13 attempts to transfer an embryo they achieved the first viable IVF pregnancy in a southern white rhino. The foetus in this image is the result after transfer. Tragically, the pregnancy didn’t reach full term (16-18 months), as the surrogate mother died from a bacterial infection at 70 days. But the pregnancy demonstrated that the technique is viable – a critical milestone.
Ethics are central to the project and a dedicated team of ethical scientists monitor every step to ensure no harm is done. The northern white rhinos live in a conservancy in Kenya, protected around the clock by devoted rangers and caretakers. I understand that some may feel uneasy about surrogacy and IVF in animals, but I’ve seen first-hand how carefully the team evaluates animal welfare. Prof Thomas Hildebrandt, the project’s lead, says science cannot be an excuse to repeat the mistakes of the past; it cannot be the sole solution; conservation must go hand in hand with science to prevent extinction.
Before becoming a photographer, I studied biology. I dreamed of being a scientist, but science felt too vast, and my applications to research institutes were clumsy and naive. It never happened. Photography became my way back in. Years ago, I met the press officer for the BioRescue Project, based in Berlin, where I live and in 2020 he invited me and my partner – a journalist – to document the first embryo transfers of southern white rhinos in Germany. I was blown away. As a frustrated biologist, I was thrilled to work alongside this extraordinary team. Since then, I’ve followed their work – first in German zoos, and since 2023, in Kenya.
I remember being at the airport in Germany, about to fly to Kenya to document what we hoped would be the first successful surrogacy – the team were buzzing with excitement. But while we were still at the airport, we received the news that the surrogate had died. It was devastating. The emotions were hard to put into words. This photograph was taken when the scientists were performing DNA checks on the foetus.
The image feels very different to the others I have taken for the project. It goes beyond documentation – it’s not showing a living animal or a scientific procedure, but something much more fragile. For me, it represents success and loss. It proves that the science works, but it also reminds us how close we are to losing this species for ever. I think it captures the emotional essence of the whole story.
Even though the story is bittersweet, the foetus proves the science works. If we listen to scientists and support their efforts, we can still correct our course and make the planet a better place. Yes, bad news matters – but we also need stories of perseverance. There are incredible people working tirelessly, refusing to give up. The project came heartbreakingly close to success. It’s only a matter of time.
But time is running out. The German government, which has funded the project since 2019, has yet to confirm continued support. The next funding decision is due at the end of November. Without it, progress could stall – not just for the northern white rhino, but for other endangered species, too. That’s deeply disheartening, especially when the goal is within reach. If we keep sidelining environmental issues, we risk crossing a point of no return.
This image is the winner of the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition’s photojournalism category. See all 100 awarded photographs in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, from 17 October until 12 July
Jon A Juárez’s CV
Born: Blanes, Spain, 1987
Trained: “Self taught. I discovered photography during my last year studying biology and from that moment on I was hooked by it.”
Influences: “Sebastião Salgado, Sandra Bartocha, Bruno D’Amicis, and my partner and colleague, Elena Gyldenkerne.”
High point: “The moment I received my first assignment that sent me to Namibia to document a conservation project.”
Low point: “Around 10-12 years ago I tried to approach galleries in Berlin to show my work, I was rejected by all of them.”
Top tip: “Good things need time! If you believe in something, do not give up, go for it and give it the time it needs.”
