Should we artificially rescue the Northern White rhinoceros?

Najin and Fatu are the only two remaining Northern White Rhinos and live in a nature reserve in Kenya. As both are female, the species is functionally extinct.

A live journalism event performed by Dutch journalist Jasmijn Apte at City St George’s, University of London examined whether scientists should try reverse this extinction.

The event included video projections of interviews with a veterinary scientist, the Head of Science Communication of BioRescue (the consortium leading this project), an animal and environmental ethicist and a Kenyan citizen commenting on the influence of nature reserves on the local economy.

Audience members had the opportunity to share their reactions and thoughts, either verbally, or by throwing red, green or white papers on stage in response to questions and ethical dilemmas.

Jasmijn’s questions to her audience ranged from whether they thought an artificial rescue of the rhino was possible, to if they agreed that humans should be responsible for another species.

Down from 65 species of rhinos, there are now only five remaining. We are approaching the beginning of the sixth mass extinction, which is human-induced and driven by factors like habitat destruction, deforestation, pollution, and climate change.

The research methods scientists are using to create northern white rhino embryos include doing a skin biopsy and making the skin cells become reproductive cells.

It will be impossible to tell what the disappearance of even one species like the Northern White Rhino might have on the world’s ecosystem in the next hundreds of years.

While creating a new rhino seems scientifically possible, an ethicist questioned whether it was a case of humans playing God and designing nature.

Based on this debate, she asked the audience to think about whether they believed humans morally are responsible for reversing an extinction they caused. The mix of red and green balls of paper thrown on stage showed that the audience had not reached a consensus.

Another issue is that reviving the rhinos does not remedy the underlying reasons behind their functional extinction in the first place, which is a mixture of human poaching and the destruction of their natural habitat. What would be the point of saving these rhinos if within a day a poacher may harm or kill them?

She questioned what our responsibility is towards a species as a whole compared to its two remaining individuals – Najin and Fatu – who are not fit enough to give birth.

She highlighted the reality, harkening back to colonialism, that most of these reserves remain owned by white Europeans rather than their local communities.

The performance asked who are we trying to revive species for: the animals, or for our own conscience?

The live element of the performance meant that in the Q&A section after the performance, audience members were able to discuss Jasmijn’s interest in live journalism and how she chose her sources.

The event was introduced by Dr Glenda Cooper, Reader in Journalism in City St George’s Department of Journalism, who is currently researching live journalism.

Discussing the difference between journalism and theatre, Dr Cooper told the audience:

Live journalism is creative, not created.

It uses the same norms and standards as we hold in journalism while doing it in different ways. In traditional journalism, you make creative decisions every day, on how you start your introduction for example.

What's important is the audience’s ability to interact with the journalist after and ask more questions.

She has published several academic articles on this new field, the latest being News Cabaret: Live Journalism and Theatre 'Making Human Contact Again with the News Agenda' which was published this week in the academic journal Journalism Practice.

Dr Cooper has so far produced seven live journalism events, many of which featured City St George’s postgraduate and undergraduate journalism students.

She is currently working on a new project called Letters from Us with the interactive theatre company Koro. The project, funded by City St George’s, is inspired by Alistair Cooke's landmark BBC programme Letter from America. She will work with Islington residents to report and describe their own communities, before creating a live event and digital archive.