Partner at Liverpool marketing firm embarks on search for ‘extinct’ rhinos in South Sudan

Paul Naden, 50, a partner at Liverpool-based Outreach Marketing, has dedicated the last decade of his life to helping fight for the survival of some of the world’s most endangered species through the charity Saving the Survivors^[1]

He has just embarked on his most ambitious project yet – flying to war-torn South Sudan, in the hope of discovering a previously unknown population of northern white rhinos, a species officially declared extinct in 2018 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The expedition, which is being part-funded by the self-made millionaire who made his fortune running Manchester’s HFS Loans, will be followed by the BBC – who will capture the search for the rhino on camera for a new one-hour documentary called ‘The Last Unicorn’.

Paul says: “In 2018 the last male northern was declared functionally extinct. The world was left with only two old females, unable to reproduce but have been possibly been given a second chance to save this species.

“Rumours and whisperings from South Sudan of sightings of the animal in the wild and reports of rhino tracks have reignited the hope for the future of the northern white rhino. I’m going to Sudan with an expert team to try to track it down.

“There has been no survey or study of South Sudan’s wildlife in over a decade and no comprehensive search has ever taken place until now.

“This is one final and comprehensive search for any remaining northern white rhino in the wild. I am incredibly excited to be involved in the search for this beautiful species and if we succeed, it gives us fresh hope of saving it.”

Doug Hope, executive producer for BBC Studios’ natural history unit, adds: “It is a long shot, there is no denying that, but there are rumours of them out there, and in a place that is so remote, so unexplored.

“Yet, from what our sources are telling us, it remains prime rhino habitat, so surely there is still a chance? And until this search is carried out we can’t close the book on the northern white rhino.”

Paul’s trek across Sudan can be followed on his Instagram @pauljnaden ^[2]

References

1. ^{^} Saving the Survivors (www.savingthesurvivors.org)
2. ^{^} @pauljnaden  (www.instagram.com)