$3000 for the hire of a helicopter and pilot for aerial darting, veterinary time and skills, drugs and equipment kindly donated by WWA via our main sponsor Rae Safaris and their clients.
Rae Safaris were soon back in the same reserve in northern SA with a student group led by WWA Management team member Dr Kelly George, observing the darting of two young white rhino cows.
They were moving together and while they had both been dehorned about 18 months earlier, the subsequent growth to their horns now required re-trimming. The helicopter pilot corralled them closer to the track that the ground team were standing by on, the vet delivered the capture chemicals perfectly via dart gun and the two creatures succumbed next to the track.
The guests helped to carry out a range of health checks on these incredible pachyderms while their horns were quickly trimmed.
Antidotes to the anaesthetic were then administered and the team stood in awe as the two magnificent creatures stood up just a few seconds later and moved away calmly back into the bush.
Again, our main sponsor Rae Safaris guests were delighted to have contributed financially to WWA’s support of this vital project and witness first-hand the true expert nature of practical measures in African wildlife conservation.
Video below: The female rhinos got up without discomfort and walked off after their dehorning and health check. Lovely to see them in their natural habitat.