WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.980 All right, so we've got some really interesting 00:00:02.980 --> 00:00:05.620 material to dig into today. Yeah, for sure. This 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:09.259 one is pretty wild. Yeah, you flag this. And 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:11.259 you know, I got to say, when I saw this headline, 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.839 I was like, what? Yeah, you and me both. I mean, 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:16.780 rhinos and helicopters, what's the connection, 00:00:16.940 --> 00:00:18.640 right? Exactly. So we're talking about the black 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:20.859 rhino today, right? Yeah, black rhinos specifically, 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:22.480 their populations, you know, they really took 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:25.600 a hit back in the 90s, dipped way down below 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:28.500 2 ,500. Wow, that's. That's critically low. Well, 00:00:28.500 --> 00:00:31.000 absolutely. It was a dire situation. Yeah. But 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:33.579 thankfully, they've seen a bit of a rebound lately 00:00:33.579 --> 00:00:35.939 thanks to a lot of hard work from conservationists. 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:37.939 That's good to hear. But what I'm really curious 00:00:37.939 --> 00:00:41.140 about is, well, this whole helicopter thing. 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:43.240 Yeah. So the big challenge of black rhinos is 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:45.439 that to really protect them and help them thrive, 00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:48.399 we have to relocate them. OK. I can see that 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:50.039 being a big undertaking. Oh, it definitely is. 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:51.520 I mean, first of all, you've got poaching to 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.520 contend with, which is a constant threat. Right. 00:00:53.579 --> 00:00:56.039 And these animals are huge. Exactly. So moving 00:00:56.039 --> 00:00:58.700 them is no small feat. So helicopters, I guess 00:00:58.700 --> 00:01:00.719 that makes sense in a way. Yeah, it's become 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:02.979 an increasingly vital tool, especially in places 00:01:02.979 --> 00:01:06.019 like South Africa, Namibia, Botswana. OK, so 00:01:06.019 --> 00:01:08.500 let's rewind a bit before helicopters entered 00:01:08.500 --> 00:01:11.420 the scene. How did they even move rhinos around? 00:01:11.739 --> 00:01:15.799 Well, you know, it was a much more. Shall we 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:18.859 say hands -on approach? Hands -on with a rhino. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:22.060 Doesn't sound very appealing. Uh -huh. Yeah, 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:24.439 you could say that the traditional method involved 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:27.340 darting them to sedate them and then... Yeah, 00:01:27.340 --> 00:01:29.420 like, how do you even begin to move an animal 00:01:29.420 --> 00:01:31.439 that big? Well, they'd wait for the rhino to 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:34.040 regain some consciousness and then try to basically 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:36.519 coax it into a crate, a big strong wooden crate. 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:39.079 Yeah, a crate. I can only imagine the logistics 00:01:39.079 --> 00:01:42.010 of that. Oh, it was a nightmare, honestly. trying 00:01:42.010 --> 00:01:43.890 to get a several ton animal into a crate and 00:01:43.890 --> 00:01:46.069 then transporting it by truck over sometimes 00:01:46.069 --> 00:01:48.730 very rough terrain. Yeah, that sounds incredibly 00:01:48.730 --> 00:01:50.849 stressful for the animal. It was incredibly stressful, 00:01:50.969 --> 00:01:53.409 not to mention dangerous. There was a real risk 00:01:53.409 --> 00:01:55.269 of injury during the whole process. What kind 00:01:55.269 --> 00:01:57.209 of injuries are we talking about? Well, everything 00:01:57.209 --> 00:01:59.590 from muscle damage, from struggling the crate 00:01:59.590 --> 00:02:02.750 to even horn damage. Yeah. And sadly, there were 00:02:02.750 --> 00:02:05.030 cases where their airways would become obstructed 00:02:05.030 --> 00:02:07.909 during transport. which could be fatal. Oh, wow. 00:02:08.009 --> 00:02:10.270 So the whole process was fraught with danger. 00:02:10.389 --> 00:02:11.889 And then you have the issue of accessibility. 00:02:12.849 --> 00:02:14.990 A lot of these rhino habitats are incredibly 00:02:14.990 --> 00:02:18.460 remote, difficult to reach by road. So helicopters 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:21.000 really changed the game in terms of accessibility. 00:02:21.180 --> 00:02:24.039 Oh, absolutely. They provided a much faster and 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:27.039 importantly less stressful way to relocate these 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:29.120 animals. OK, I'm picturing a rhino hanging from 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:31.539 a helicopter. This is where it gets really interesting. 00:02:32.180 --> 00:02:33.639 Yeah, it's a sight to see. But before we get 00:02:33.639 --> 00:02:35.919 to that, let's talk about how they actually capture 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:38.039 the rhino for transport. OK, so it all starts 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:40.319 with a dart, right? Right. Usually a wildlife 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:42.680 veterinarian of experience in aerial darting 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:44.840 will lean out of the helicopter to administer 00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:47.979 the immobilizing drugs. Wow, leaning out of a 00:02:47.979 --> 00:02:50.400 helicopter? Talk about a high pressure job? Yeah, 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:52.599 it takes a lot of skill and precision. Interestingly, 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.280 they often target younger rhinos or dominant 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:58.340 males for relocation. Oh, why is that? It's all 00:02:58.340 --> 00:03:00.740 about maintaining genetic diversity and preventing 00:03:00.740 --> 00:03:03.159 inbreeding within the populations. Oh, that makes 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:04.939 sense. So they're trying to mix things up a bit. 00:03:05.460 --> 00:03:07.520 Exactly. And of course, they have to carefully 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.280 calculate the dosage of the immobilizing drugs 00:03:10.280 --> 00:03:12.849 based on the rhino's weight. What kind of drugs 00:03:12.849 --> 00:03:14.949 are we talking about? It's usually a combination 00:03:14.949 --> 00:03:17.689 of a strong opioid and a tranquilizer to ensure 00:03:17.689 --> 00:03:20.090 the animal is safely immobilized. And once the 00:03:20.090 --> 00:03:22.590 rhino is down, then what? Well then a team on 00:03:22.590 --> 00:03:25.069 the ground and in the air work together to quickly 00:03:25.069 --> 00:03:28.669 gather data, take measurements, and implant microchips 00:03:28.669 --> 00:03:31.110 for tracking. Okay, so now we're getting to the 00:03:31.110 --> 00:03:33.750 part where they actually lift the rhino. Right. 00:03:33.870 --> 00:03:35.830 They carefully secure the rhino's ankles with 00:03:35.830 --> 00:03:38.509 these big padded straps which are connected to 00:03:38.509 --> 00:03:40.830 a rope that's attached to the helicopter. and 00:03:40.830 --> 00:03:43.050 then up it goes. Yeah, pretty much the helicopter 00:03:43.050 --> 00:03:45.789 hoists the rhino into the air and transports 00:03:45.789 --> 00:03:47.990 it to a central location, could be a staging 00:03:47.990 --> 00:03:50.969 area, or directly to the release site. So this 00:03:50.969 --> 00:03:53.009 is the part that always gets me why upside down. 00:03:53.409 --> 00:03:56.090 Yeah, it seems counterintuitive. Sure. But research 00:03:56.090 --> 00:03:58.270 has actually shown that this is the safest position 00:03:58.270 --> 00:04:00.349 for the rhino's breathing. Seriously, I would 00:04:00.349 --> 00:04:02.030 have thought that would make it harder to breathe. 00:04:02.129 --> 00:04:05.110 It's because of their unique anatomy, their weight 00:04:05.110 --> 00:04:08.819 and build. actually help to extend their head 00:04:08.819 --> 00:04:11.180 and neck downwards when they're upside down, 00:04:11.539 --> 00:04:13.800 which straightens their spine and keeps the airway 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:15.740 open. Wow, that's fascinating. I never would 00:04:15.740 --> 00:04:17.879 have guessed. And here's another interesting 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:20.060 thing. The rhino's horn actually acts as a kind 00:04:20.060 --> 00:04:22.480 of stabilizer during the flight. You mean the 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:24.959 very thing that makes them a target for poachers 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.459 helps them during the rescue. Exactly. It's like 00:04:27.459 --> 00:04:30.399 a natural tail fin or a wind vane. It reduces 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:32.660 spinning and makes the flight smoother, more 00:04:32.660 --> 00:04:36.579 aerodynamic. Wow. Talk about irony. They actually 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:38.819 tried other methods in the past, like laying 00:04:38.819 --> 00:04:41.100 the Rhino on a board or securing it in a net, 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:43.759 but those proved less effective, and sometimes 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:45.660 even more dangerous. So what kind of helicopters 00:04:45.660 --> 00:04:47.879 are they using for these Rhino airlifts? Two 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:50.819 main ones, the Airbus AS350S star. It's nicknamed 00:04:50.819 --> 00:04:53.060 the Squirrel. And it's a good size for the job, 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:55.399 cost effective, and pretty widely available. 00:04:55.699 --> 00:04:57.560 The Squirrel, that's kind of cute for such a 00:04:57.560 --> 00:04:59.680 powerful machine. Uh -huh. Yeah, and then there's 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:03.160 the more iconic UH -1H Huey. Wait, the Huey? 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:05.600 As in the helicopter from the Vietnam War? The 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:07.220 one and only. Some of them still have patches 00:05:07.220 --> 00:05:10.519 over bullet holes and stuff. Wow. So these helicopters 00:05:10.519 --> 00:05:14.160 have seen some action. Oh yeah. They're workhorses. 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:17.240 Incredibly powerful lifters. Fun fact. The sound 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:19.459 of the Huey's rotors was actually a comforting 00:05:19.459 --> 00:05:22.139 sound for soldiers during the war. It meant help 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:24.500 was on the way. And now they're helping rhinos. 00:05:25.060 --> 00:05:27.339 That's pretty amazing. It's a remarkable turnaround 00:05:27.339 --> 00:05:30.060 from being used in conflict to being used for 00:05:30.060 --> 00:05:32.839 conservation. And it's kind of ironic considering 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:35.319 that poachers used helicopters to hunt rhinos 00:05:35.319 --> 00:05:37.720 back in the 80s. Yeah, it really highlights how 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:40.420 things can change and how technology can be used 00:05:40.420 --> 00:05:42.980 for both good and bad purposes. So all this effort, 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:45.060 all this technology, is it actually making a 00:05:45.060 --> 00:05:47.839 difference for the black rhino population? It 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:50.879 really seems to be. For example, in the Mibia's 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.759 Kine region, black rhinos were almost completely 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:56.040 wiped out. But thanks to airlifts, they've been 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:58.439 able to reestablish a presence in this very rugged 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:01.139 mountainous area. Wow, so the helicopters really 00:06:01.139 --> 00:06:03.500 opened up new possibilities for conservation. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:05.680 Absolutely, and there are some larger initiatives 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:07.600 as well, like the Rhinos Without Borders project. 00:06:07.740 --> 00:06:10.660 What's that one all about? It started in 2014 00:06:10.660 --> 00:06:13.660 with the goal of moving 100 rhinos from South 00:06:13.660 --> 00:06:16.899 Africa to Botswana. Why Botswana? Botswana has 00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:20.000 a much lower poaching rate. They've been very 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.120 successful in protecting their rhino population. 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:24.740 What's their secret? Well, for one thing, they 00:06:24.740 --> 00:06:26.819 have a well -funded and highly trained military 00:06:26.819 --> 00:06:29.680 that's allowed to use lethal force against poachers. 00:06:30.019 --> 00:06:32.759 Well, they don't mess around. Nope. They're serious 00:06:32.759 --> 00:06:35.319 about protecting their wildlife. And Botswana 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:38.319 also has a lower human population density and 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.060 vast areas that are inaccessible by road, which 00:06:41.060 --> 00:06:43.079 makes it harder for poachers to operate. Makes 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:45.199 sense. So it's kind of like a rhino safe haven. 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:47.740 Exactly. And the Rhinos Without Borders project 00:06:47.740 --> 00:06:49.720 has already moved a good number of rhinos, though 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.839 it's not cheap. It costs about $45 ,000 to a 00:06:52.839 --> 00:06:56.279 rhino to relocate them. $45 ,000 per rhino? That's 00:06:56.279 --> 00:06:59.139 a lot of money. It is. But it shows just how 00:06:59.139 --> 00:07:01.779 committed these conservationists are to saving 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:04.279 these animals. And it really highlights the severity 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:07.220 of the poaching problem. Absolutely. Rhino poaching 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:10.920 reached a crisis point in 2015. Over 1 ,300 rhinos 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:13.060 were poached across Africa, most of them in South 00:07:13.060 --> 00:07:16.139 Africa. It's so sad and all because of this unfounded 00:07:16.139 --> 00:07:19.319 belief that rhino horn has medicinal properties. 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:21.500 Yeah, it's heartbreaking, really. Rhino horn 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:24.120 is made of keratin, the same stuff as our fingernails. 00:07:24.300 --> 00:07:26.800 It has no proven medicinal value whatsoever. 00:07:26.970 --> 00:07:29.569 But that hasn't stopped the black market demand. 00:07:30.050 --> 00:07:32.189 Unfortunately not, which is why relocating rhinos 00:07:32.189 --> 00:07:34.709 to safer areas disrupting poaching networks is 00:07:34.709 --> 00:07:37.430 so important. And establishing those new populations 00:07:37.430 --> 00:07:39.990 in places like Botswana. Exactly. It's all about 00:07:39.990 --> 00:07:41.709 giving these animals a fighting chance for the 00:07:41.709 --> 00:07:44.870 future. And Botswana has seen some real success. 00:07:45.529 --> 00:07:47.529 Their rhino population has grown from under 100 00:07:47.529 --> 00:07:50.600 to around 170, with a goal of reaching 400. That's 00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:52.439 encouraging to hear. So it sounds like these 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.000 relocation efforts are having a positive impact. 00:07:55.180 --> 00:07:57.500 They definitely seem to be, but it's an ongoing 00:07:57.500 --> 00:07:59.160 battle and there's still a lot of challenges 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.639 ahead. And some pretty drastic measures being 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:03.639 considered. I've even heard about dehorning. 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:05.740 Yeah, that's a controversial one. Surgically 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:07.860 removing the rhino's horn to make them less attractive 00:08:07.860 --> 00:08:10.319 to poachers. I can see how that would be effective, 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:13.199 but it also seems kind of sad. There are definitely 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:16.550 pros and cons to it. It's a complex issue. with 00:08:16.550 --> 00:08:19.629 no easy answers. So it's a balancing act weighing 00:08:19.629 --> 00:08:22.550 the potential benefits against the ethical concerns. 00:08:22.949 --> 00:08:24.870 And of course, there are also concerns about 00:08:24.870 --> 00:08:27.889 the cost and environmental impact of using helicopters 00:08:27.889 --> 00:08:30.769 so extensively. Yeah, that's a valid point. But 00:08:30.769 --> 00:08:33.330 I guess for many, the urgency of saving these 00:08:33.330 --> 00:08:35.809 animals outweighs those concerns. That's the 00:08:35.809 --> 00:08:37.789 argument many conservationists make, that the 00:08:37.789 --> 00:08:40.509 obligation to protect critically endangered species 00:08:40.509 --> 00:08:43.830 like rhinos justifies these extraordinary measures. 00:08:44.029 --> 00:08:45.830 And you can't really argue with that rhinos have 00:08:45.830 --> 00:08:47.970 been around for millions of years. We can't let 00:08:47.970 --> 00:08:50.470 them disappear on our watch. Exactly. It's our 00:08:50.470 --> 00:08:52.970 responsibility to do everything we can to ensure 00:08:52.970 --> 00:08:55.279 their survival. What's been fascinating learning 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:58.159 about this unique and frankly quite surprising 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:00.639 use of helicopters and conservation. Yeah, who 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:02.559 would have thought that these machines once associated 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:04.980 with war would now be playing such a crucial 00:09:04.980 --> 00:09:08.519 role in saving rhinos. It's a testament to human 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:12.480 ingenuity and our capacity to adapt and use technology 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:15.259 for good. It's also a reminder that we need to 00:09:15.259 --> 00:09:18.059 be constantly innovating and finding new ways 00:09:18.059 --> 00:09:20.500 to protect our planet and the creatures that 00:09:20.500 --> 00:09:22.360 inhabit it. And who knows what other amazing 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:24.480 applications of technology we might see in the 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:26.899 future. The possibilities are endless, and that's 00:09:26.899 --> 00:09:28.960 what makes this field so exciting. Well said. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:31.399 On that note, for our listeners who want to delve 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:33.580 deeper into the world of rhino conservation, 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.299 be sure to follow meteorologist Rob Jones on 00:09:36.299 --> 00:09:39.759 Instagram at Meteorologist. You can also find 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.720 them on TikTok at TV Meteorologist. And on YouTube, 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:45.960 search for Rob Jones Hurricane, where you'll 00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:48.220 find the Meteorology Matters podcast playlist 00:09:48.220 --> 00:09:51.000 and tons of other fascinating content. And as 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:52.799 you go about your day, we leave you with this 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:54.940 thought, what other unexpected intersections 00:09:54.940 --> 00:09:57.820 of technology and conservation might emerge in 00:09:57.820 --> 00:10:00.379 the years to come. Food or thought? Thanks for 00:10:00.379 --> 00:10:01.779 listening, everyone. Until next time.