Why Airlifting Rhinos Upside Down Is Critical To Conservation

[NamStay]

Why airlifting rhinos upside down is critical to conservation | CNN

For the past decade, conservationists have been airlifting black rhinos upside down. It's faster, cheaper and easier than other airlifting methods, but what is it like for the rhinos? A recent study has revealed surprising answers.

edition.cnn.com

Swinging above the African savannah, an upside-down rhino suspended from a helicopter looks comically surreal. But for the black rhino, flying to new territory is no laughing matter -- it's about survival.

Most rhino translocations are carried out with trucks, but some remote locations can't be reached by road. So ten years ago, conservationists began using helicopters, on an occasional basis, to move rhinos to and from inaccessible terrain. The rhino is either placed on its side on a stretcher or hung upside down by its legs.

Conservationists like the upside-down airlift because it's faster, easier, and less expensive than the stretcher option, but until now it hasn't been clear how being flipped affects the rhinos.

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Why airlifting rhinos upside down is critical to conservation | CNN

For the past decade, conservationists have been airlifting black rhinos upside down. It's faster, cheaper and easier than other airlifting methods, but what is it like for the rhinos? A recent study has revealed surprising answers.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Ike85123]

Good read ! I never thought about it. But I suppose I have never seen a rhino lay on its side, unless it was dying.

 

[Philip Glass]

Most animals do not do well their side. I have to sedate animals to capture and move them at my game ranch and they must be up on their sternum during recovery or they may die. This is very interesting about moving rhinos and it makes perfect sense. With wild animals the most important thing is time. The faster you can get them moved the more likely they are to survive.
Thanks for this neat article!