'An absolute game-changer': Shropshire charity creates new life from white rhino - four years after her death
A Shropshire charity has successfully produced new cells from a Southern white rhino that died almost four years ago.
In October 2021, veterinarians at Whipsnade Zoo teamed up with three specialist groups to collect tissue samples from a recently deceased 40-year-old Southern white rhino, with the hopes that they could be preserved and used in the future to help study her genetics and even create new life.
Among the specialists were Nature’s SAFE (Save Animals From Extinction), a Whitchurch-based wildlife biobanking charity, who preserved a skin sample from the rhino’s ear.
The skin cells were then cryopreserved at -196⁰C until April 2025, when they were carefully removed from the liquid nitrogen storage tanks and thawed out.
Now, nearly four years after the rhino’s death, the team at Nature’s SAFE successfully cultured these cells and has grown new cell lines.
Lucy Morgan, the lab technician behind the success, explained how it happened: “On average, cell culture takes seven to 10 days to complete. As this was our first rhino cell culture, we were a little unsure if this same timeline would be followed. But, we are proud to report that cells grew exceptionally well in culture and have now been preserved for future applications.
"These cells represent living DNA from this rhino that is readily available for conservation use even though the rhino itself is deceased. These cells could allow for the creation of gametes from their living genetics through induced pluripotent stem cell technology, which can then be used to assist reproduction. For now, the samples will remain safely in storage at Nature’s SAFE, ready for future use as and when instructed by the conservation partner in ownership of the samples."
Nature’s SAFE has now stored biological samples from 300 species, including 37 which are critically endangered and four which are extinct in the wild. Successful cell cultures are a pivotal step in restoring these populations to sustainable numbers.
Tullis Matson, founder and chair of Nature’s SAFE, said: “This could be an absolute game-changer moving forward. Now, we’ve proven that this rhino’s cells are truly in a living state even though she passed away almost four years ago.
"This is a powerful tool for protecting many more of our critically endangered species; animals like the mountain chicken frog or Lake Patzcuaro salamander, which otherwise might have fallen into extinction, could be saved using these new biobanking technologies.
"We are over the moon – this brings hope not just to the Southern white rhino, but to any species on the brink!”
