Conservationists have successfully created two laboratory-made northern white rhino embryos using IVF.

The in-vitro creation was made by a group of conservationists from Kenya, Germany and the Czech Republic working at the Avantea laboratory in Cremona, Italy, according to reports.

Scientists last month collected 10 immature eggs from Najin and Fatu, the world’s only northern white rhinos, both female, reports said. The embryos, all from Fatu’s eggs, will be transferred to a surrogate mother, a statement said. Najin’s eggs were not successful.

A mixture of in vitro fertilisation and surrogacy is the last hope to save the northern white rhino species. The last male northern white rhino, named Sudan, died last year. Video seen here from January 7, 2018 shows Sudan just weeks before he died. The footage was filmed by wildlife filmmaker Matt Brierley at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya. Sudan passed away on March 19 due to age-related complications.

Poaching for rhino horns has decimated numbers worldwide.

Sudan was the last male northern white rhino. Northern whites are one of two subspecies of white rhino, the other being the southern white rhino. There are now only two northern white rhinos remaining, both female. Sudan was 45 when he died on 19th March 2018 at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya. Sudan was old for a rhino and being treated for age-related complications that led to degenerative changes in muscles and bones combined with extensive skin wounds, visible in the footage. Sudan's sperm has been frozen and IVF could still save this subspecies. However, it is unlikely either female could ever carry an infant - since they both have reproductive challenges - so the process would necessitate a southern white rhino acting as a surrogate. The northern white rhino was once abundant across central Africa but staggering rates of illegal hunting for its horn have led to its extinction in the wild. Rhino horn is made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails, and has no proven medicinal value.