Why Rhinos Fly Upside Down Over Namibia
Researchers determined that the pachyderms fare just fine when they sail suspended from a helicopter..
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There are lots of reasons to move a rhinoceros. In Namibia, where one-third of the world’s 5,500 black rhinos live, conservationists must strategically relocate the animals to sustain local populations and encourage genetic diversity. Sometimes rhinos are moved to national parks, where they can be protected from poachers who relentlessly pursue their valuable horns. Others are transported to one of the country’s 86 conservancies, community-managed preserves that can lure more visitors—and generate more poverty-alleviating revenue—with the promise of a rhino spotting.
But moving a rhino is a big lift, and not just because of its size. Namibia is a rugged country of extreme landscapes, from savannah to salt flats to sand dunes. Many places where wild animals roam freely are inaccessible to vehicles. When transport trucks are a feasible option, it can be tricky to cajole a 3,000-pound rhino into one; even if the animal is persuaded to board, an hours-long ride may be traumatic. For these reasons, in the last decade, helicopters have become a reliable way to move rhinos from place to place—the animal sedated and dangling, upside down, below—even though little was known about the clinical risks involved.
Not content to rely on luck, Namibian conservationists wanted to find out what effect an upside-down ride, coupled with a powerful $#@!tail of sedatives, might have on a two-ton mammal. In 2015, a team from the Cornell Conservation Medicine Program traveled to Waterburg National Park to collaborate with the country’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and put the question to rest. Their findings were released in January, delayed by canceled field seasons and the pandemic.
This is the story of how they decided it was best to move them upside down: https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...to-move-rhinos
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