Google Doodle celebrates Sudan the last male northern white rhino

Google published a Doodle on its homepage to celebrate Sudan, the world’s last surviving male northern white rhino, who died two years ago.

His death left only two females, his daughter, Najin, and granddaughter, Fatu, of the subspecies alive in the world.

“Sudan will live to be remembered as the last male northern white rhino of his kind. Today as we celebrate him, may we strive to protect the environment and wildlife which is the foundation of all civilisation,” says Dorothy Ooko, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Africa.

In the 1970s, Sudan escaped extinction of his kind in the wild when he was moved to Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic and eventually to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.

Following the global environment campaign in 2008 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the northern white rhino was declared extinct in the wild.

This resulted in Sudan spending a decade under 24-hour armed surveillance at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

The 45-year-old white rhino, upon his demise, was the equivalent of 90 in human years and was long past his breeding age.

At the time of his death, he was one of only three living northern white rhinoceroses in the world, and the last known male of his subspecies.

Google began honouring people who have passed on, events, anniversaries, and holidays with Doodles designed by one of its engineers in 1999.