Experts Say Flying Rhinos Upside Down is Vital for Their Conservation

Conservationists have to think out of the box when it comes to conserving endangered species of certain sizes, like the rhinos. A new study found that suspending rhinos from their feet is a vital part of conserving them.

Euronews reported that researchers from Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine said that their study, published in the journal Wildlife Diseases, proved that rhinos hanging upside down from a helicopter is safer than previously thought.

"We found that suspending rhinos by their feet is safer than we thought," said study first author and wildlife, and conservation senior lecturer Dr. Robin Radcliffe.

Conservation of Rhinos Involves Hanging Then Upside Down

In order to conserve the rhinos, they must be moved to an inaccessible wilderness using a helicopter. But transporting these enormous creatures can be tricky, so conservationists have to tranquilize them. By doing this, they can airlift the rhinos by their feet, saving time and is thought to be kinder to the animal.

This method has been used for a decade now, but there are still debates about using anesthetic drugs while hanging the rhinos upside down, as opposed to when they are transported lying down.

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Safer Method Than Lying Down

According to Cornell University's press release, Radcliffe and his colleagues were mindful that the use of anesthesia drugs to tranquilize the rhinos could be harmful as these are potent opioids that are a thousand times more potent than morphine that could cause respiratory depression, reduced blood oxygen, and higher metabolism.

They noted that these side effects could cause impairment to the health of rhinos and even lead to mortality during capture and relocation. They predicted that hanging upside down would exacerbate the drug's dangerous effects, making it a riskier mode of transporting rhinos than a platform or sled where rhinos are laid down on their said.

But they conducted a study with the Namibian conservationists to see if it does cause harm to the rhinos. The scientists tested each rhino that was tranquilized and either hanging upside down or lying on its side to compare their breathing and blood circulation.

Contrary to their previous belief, Radcliffe and his colleagues found that hanging upside down by the feet fared slightly better than when the animals were lying o their sides.

"Hanging rhinos upside down actually improved ventilation (albeit to a small degree) over rhinos lying on their sides," Radcliffe said. "While this was unexpected, and the margins small, any incremental improvement in physiology helps to enhance the safety of black rhinoceros during capture and anesthesia."

Science Daily reported that although this must be good news for conservationists, more data is needed. Radcliffe noted that now researchers confirmed rhinos hanging upside down is safe for any side effects, they must also confirm that hanging them for longer periods are safe as well.