As a child growing up in Uganda, I vividly recall seeing Northern White Rhinos in the wild where they fulfilled a central role in the grassland ecology of the region and felt profoundly moved to look into the eyes of the last of their type. These amazing mammals have had the misfortune of living in one of the most war-torn areas of Africa, which combined with a ludicrous financial value awarded to rhino horn has seen their species annihilated.
I resolved that I would have to create a monument to Sudan and his species; a permanent marker of his existence, a plea for all other species we are having an immense impact on and to try and communicate something of what it felt like to be in the presence of such a magnificent animal.
However, although this monument may express something of Sudan’s physical presence, it cannot replace the living, breathing, awesome individual Sudan was. It cannot replace the extraordinary product of millions of years of evolution and the ecological keystone his species was.
It is just possible that ground-breaking new research in the field of veterinary in-vitro fertilisation could use sperm and eggs harvested from Sudan and other northern white rhinos to recreate new individuals in the future. The problems are considerable and in the meantime, the natural environment where these Rhinos lived will have been permanently altered by their absence, nonetheless, the ingenuity of humankind extends to creative ends just as it does to destructive ones and that must be applauded.
Sudan died shortly after we recorded him. Outrage and sadness were galvanised into energy and together with the digital and modelling teams at Pangolin, we have made our monument. On one side, Sudan lies on the ground his head heavy with advanced years and the weight of his iconic, relict status. On the other side, he tilts his huge head up slightly and raises a foreleg; a symbol of hope for the moment a viable embryo created with his sperm is born, struggles up and rescues his species from total extinction. Both the 3 foot and life size models will be cast into bronze editions of 25 and 5 numbered casts respectively and will be sold to help fund the valuable environmental and conservation work done by Ol-Pejeta and their parent organization, Fauna and Flora international.
RUNGWE KINGDON
To enquire about purchasing an edition of either the lifesize or maquette version of Monument to Sudan please contact Pangolin London T: 0207520 1480
Images: Courtesy of Steve Russell Studios