( CNN ) Unique ? Suni was much more than that . He was vital to the survival of his kind . So , on Friday , after rangers found the northern white rhino lifeless in his hut on a Kenyan wildlife conservancy , a short countdown to extinction began . Suni was one of only seven northern whites left in the world , all of which live in captivity . There are none known to be left in the wild . More importantly , Suni was one of only two breeding males left , said the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in a statement . Now the conservationists have but one male and two females that can breed . And that does n't happen often . When Suni mated with female Najin in April 2012 , it was her first time in ten years . A month passed before they mated again . So far , no offspring . Rhinos on a plane : Life-saving mission across borders . But Ol Pejeta conservationists say they will persevere `` in the hope that our efforts will one day result in the successful birth of a northern white rhino calf . '' If not , the end is nigh for the northern white rhino , which is a subspecies . There is a related subspecies call the southern white rhino . It , too , was nearly extinct , but conservation efforts have raise its numbers to 20,000 , the World Wildlife Fund said . Suni was 34 years old when he died , and Ol Pejeta felt obliged to say that he was n't poached for his horns . That 's what got most of the thousands of his ancestors , which once roamed northern African savannahs , the WWF said . Ol Pejeta called that `` a sorry testament to the greed of the human race . '' The last 5,055 : In search of Namibia 's elusive black rhino .
There are only six northern white rhinos left in the world . Suni was the only male left of his kind that could mate . Now there is only one , plus two females . The other males have been killed by poachers and hunters for their horns.