• About us
• Publishing
• International Cooperation
  • Slovenia – Guest of Honour at the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair
  • Slovenia – Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2023
  • Slovenia – Guest of Honour at the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair
  • Slovenia – Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2023
    • The Project
    • Publishing
    • The Authors
    • Events
    • Press
    • Gallery
    • Contact
    • German
  • Tenders and Public Calls
  • Presentation Materials
  • International Bookfairs
  • Translation Seminar
  • Database of Translations
  • Traduki
• Reading Promotion in Slovenia

• Tenders and Public Calls
• Presentation Materials
• Database of Translations

The Last Two

Participants: Boštjan Videmšek, Maja Prijatelj Videmšek

Moderator: Carlos Pasqual 

Summary: Presentation of the book The Last Two (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), which reveals the progress towards extinction of northern white rhinos and represents the global image of extinction of animal species and the scientific effort to preserve them.

Description:
There is no chance for the northern white rhino species to continue naturally, as the last male died a few years ago. That's why years ago scientists from all over the world joined together to form the BioRescue consortium with an aim to focus on artificial insemination procedures and stem cell technologies. Since neither Najin nor Fatu are able to conceive, they have decided to artificially inseminate the rhinos and transfer the embryos to surrogate mothers of the related southern white rhino species. The first embryo transfers – being the only hope for the resurrection and preservation of the species beside stem cell technology – will take place this or the next year.

The book titled The Last Two (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023) presents the complete story of Najin and Fatu, which is also the story of the modern extinction of many animal species. This problem is the result of wars, poaching, the global wildlife market, climate change and the economic and geopolitical context. At the same time, this is the story of the efforts of scientists from all over the world to preserve the species.

Carlos Pasqual will discuss the book with both authors.

Boštjan Videmšek, a multiple award-winning journalist (including the award for Book of the Year for his book Plan B) and Maja Prijatelj Videmšek, a journalist who writes about environmental and conservation issues, together with renowned photographer Matjaž Krivic, set out to save the species to which Najin and her daughter Fatu, the last northern white rhinos, belong. The last of their kind are living in Ol Pejeta Reserve in central Kenya, surrounded by watchtowers and heavily guarded by elite security guards. 

Jan Zwilling