Black rhinos, which are classified as critically endangered species, have been facing poaching crises for many years, and local conservation groups have helped black rhinos "move" from time to time to avoid poachers, requiring special transportation methods in the process.
The scene of the black rhino in the picture is tied on all fours and hanging upside down under the helicopter, which seems a bit scary, but don't get me wrong, it is not being abused, it is actually a conservation group assisting the black rhino to relocate.
Poaching is rampant in Africa, and black rhinos living there are prime targets for poachers to obtain rhino horns that can be made into jewelry, Chinese medicine, etc. According to WWF, the number of wild black rhinos fell 98 percent in the 1960s and 1990s, leaving fewer than 2,500.
Although the number has recovered to about 5,600 after years of conservation, the poaching situation is still serious. To protect black rhinos from poaching, conservation groups have assisted them in relocating to remote or controlled habitats from time to time over the years. In the past, most of them were transported by large trucks, but this was easy to track by poachers, and some remote areas were not accessible by land, and groups began to use helicopters a decade ago.
There are two types of "air freight", one is to inject the black rhinoceros with anesthetic, first put it on the side of the stretcher, and then hoist the stretcher for transportation. The other is to tie the limbs after anesthesia to hang it upside down, this mode of transportation preparation is faster and simpler, although it looks less comfortable, but according to the research of the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine, this can allow the black rhino spine to stretch, and then open the airway, help breathe, better than lying on the side on a stretcher.
The whole "air freight" process will not be too long, generally only about 30 minutes. In addition to saving time, but also means that rhinos do not need to be injected with a lot of anesthesia, which is beneficial to their health, it is believed that in the future, conservation groups will make more extensive use of helicopters to assist black rhinos in migrating their habitat. In addition to hiding from poachers, migrating black rhinos can also avoid inbreeding that tend to occur when they congregate, ensuring the genetic diversity of black rhinos.