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| Janey Styles about to feed the hungry Carla |
Rhinos in extremely dedicated hands
We are so fortunate to have an incredibly experienced, dedicated and passionate team in Zimbabwe, who often risk their own safety to save rhinos from poachers.
The Lowveld Rhino Trust staff and partners work in one of the most difficult places in the world , and are true conservation heroes.
The Lowveld Rhino Trust is currently gearing up to translocate at least 50 rhinos over the next few months, in emergency operations aimed at removing rhinos from high-risk areas where poachers are abound and move the rhinos to safer conservancies where they can be more easily monitored and protected.
Rhino translocations are no easy feat
In order to locate the rhinos, they are tracked using their spoor on the ground. This is often assisted with spotting by a small aircraft. Once a rhino is spotted, the pilot notifies the wildlife veterinarian of the rhino's age, sex and estimated condition so that the correct drug dosages can be loaded into darts.
The majority of rhino immobilizations are performed from a helicopter so that the process is as quick and safe as possible for the rhinos. A truck with rhino crates must be positioned suitably close to the anticipated immobilization site so the rhino can be crated and loaded on the truck quickly.
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An exhausted Dr. Chris Foggin, a wildlife vet who treats injured rhinos and assists with translocations, rests when he can during operations to rescue rhinos from poachers.
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Once the ground teams have been adequately directed and the darts are ready, the aircraft pilot calls the helicopter into position so that the veterinarian can dart the rhino. This stage of the operation requires skilled teamwork as the helicopter is flying very low in often difficult conditions (tall trees, high temperatures, moving target), so the aircraft pilot must direct the helicopter pilot as to how the rhino needs to be driven to create darting opportunities and avoid dangers to the rhino such as water bodies, steep gullies, and rough, rocky terrain.
Once the rhino (or rhinos, as cow-calf pairs frequently need to be darted at the same time when being translocated) is stationary, the helicopter lands to offload the vet. During the immobilization, the rhino’s breathing, blood oxygenation, pulse and temperature are closely monitored so that appropriate action can be taken to control any problems.
The transport crate is lifted off the truck with a mounted crane and placed immediately in front of the rhino. A rope is secured to the rhino’s head to help with pulling the rhino into the crate once it has been partially revived. Once the rhino is securely inside the crate it is loaded onto the truck for transporting, and driven to its new home. The rhino is then carefully released and monitored for any problems. |