The world 's last surviving male northern white rhino - stripped of his horn for his own safety - is now under 24-hour armed guard in a desperate final bid to save the species . Sudan is guarded day and night by a group of rangers who risk their lives on a daily basis as they try to keep the rhino from poachers lured by the rising price of ivory . But even without his horn , keepers in the Kenyan reserve of Ol Pojeta in fear for his safety . Scroll down for video . Guard : The rangers keep an armed watch around Sudan at all times to deter poachers after his horn . Extreme measures : Rangers have even cut off the rhino 's horn - but they fear it wo n't be enough . Hungry : Feeding time in Sudan 's enclosure - he spent most of his life in a Czech zoo . Dangerous : The rangers are aware they are risking their lives to protect the enormous animal . The 43-year-old rhino - who could live until his 50s - is the last chance for any future northern white rhino calves . Sudan was moved , along with two female rhinos , from a zoo in the Czech Republic in December 2009 . The reserve , which specialises in the conservation of rhinos , was chosen because of its successful breeding programme with black rhinos . It had been hoped the move would encourage them to breed , but all attempts have been unsuccessful . The project was dealt a further blow when Suni - the world 's only other male , who also lived at Ol Pojeta - died last October . It left just five northern white rhinos in the world - and the three in Kenya are in particular danger . Hunted : Rhinos like Sudan have no predators in the wild because of their size - apart from humans . New home : It had been hoped moving Sudan to Kenya with two females would encourage them to breed . Simor Irungu , one of the rangers who guards Sudan , says the team regularly risk their lives to keep him safe . 'With the rising demand for rhino horn and ivory , we face many poaching attempts and while we manage to counter a large number of these , we often risk our lives in the line of duty . ' It is a sad end for a species which used to roam across the heart of Africa - from southern Chad , across the Democratic Republic of Congo and up into Sudan . Just over half a century ago , there were 2,000 northern white rhinos ; but 1984 there were only 15 , all in the DRC , according to the World Wildlife Fund . But then conservationist managed to bring them back from the brink , and bought the population up to at least 30 animals less than a decade later . Failure : But attempts at breeding have been unsuccessful - and Sudan is now getting old . High value : The price of ivory is now said to be between £40,000 and £47,000 a kilo . But then poaching took its toll , and the entire park was emptied . The last northern white rhinos were spotted in 2006 . Their extinction has been fueled by the growing demand for ivory , which comes in large part from the Far East , where it is believed to be a cure for several ailments . The price for ivory has risen from between £170 to £541 per kilo in the 1990s , to today 's prices of £40,000 to £47,355 per kilo , according to a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare . The rangers have taken steps to deter the poachers , but they still fear it may not be enough . Elodie Sampere explained : 'The only reason his horn has been cut off is to deter poachers . 'If the rhino has no horn , he is of no interest to them . 'This is purely to keep him safe . ' Sad end : Sudan is one of five northern white rhinos left , and a number of them are his descedents . However , keeping them safe is a costly business : the team of 40 cost £75,000 for six months . It is usually paid for with money made from tourism , but recent instability in Kenya , and fear of Ebola - which is actually thousands of miles away - have kept people away . So the team at Ol Pejeta is hoping to raise the money through crowd funding . 'Keeping the ranger team safe is expensive , ' the appeal reads . 'They are given world-class training , and are kitted out with the latest in equipment and support , from night vision goggles to GPS tracking , to a team of tracking and support dogs ... . 'Keeping the team funded and equipped is an ongoing challenge . 'We are aiming to raise enough to safeguard the wages for the forty strong team for the next six months . 'This is £75,000 . Any which way , every single pound contributed will help secure the rangers , that secure the rhino , for us and for future generations . ' To donate , visit Ol Pejeta 's GoFundMe page .
Sudan is the last hope for a species on the verge of being wiped out . Rangers in kilo risking their lives to keep the 43-year-old rhino safe . But ivory is now fetching as much as £47,000 per Kenya as demand grows . Animal sanctuary Ol Pejeta trying to raise money to help pay for guards .