All right, so we've got some really interesting
material to dig into today. Yeah, for sure. This
one is pretty wild. Yeah, you flag this. And
you know, I got to say, when I saw this headline,
I was like, what? Yeah, you and me both. I mean,
rhinos and helicopters, what's the connection,
right? Exactly. So we're talking about the black
rhino today, right? Yeah, black rhinos specifically,
their populations, you know, they really took
a hit back in the 90s, dipped way down below
2 ,500. Wow, that's. That's critically low. Well,
absolutely. It was a dire situation. Yeah. But
thankfully, they've seen a bit of a rebound lately
thanks to a lot of hard work from conservationists.
That's good to hear. But what I'm really curious
about is, well, this whole helicopter thing.
Yeah. So the big challenge of black rhinos is
that to really protect them and help them thrive,
we have to relocate them. OK. I can see that
being a big undertaking. Oh, it definitely is.
I mean, first of all, you've got poaching to
contend with, which is a constant threat. Right.
And these animals are huge. Exactly. So moving
them is no small feat. So helicopters, I guess
that makes sense in a way. Yeah, it's become
an increasingly vital tool, especially in places
like South Africa, Namibia, Botswana. OK, so
let's rewind a bit before helicopters entered
the scene. How did they even move rhinos around?
Well, you know, it was a much more. Shall we
say hands -on approach? Hands -on with a rhino.
Doesn't sound very appealing. Uh -huh. Yeah,
you could say that the traditional method involved
darting them to sedate them and then... Yeah,
like, how do you even begin to move an animal
that big? Well, they'd wait for the rhino to
regain some consciousness and then try to basically
coax it into a crate, a big strong wooden crate.
Yeah, a crate. I can only imagine the logistics
of that. Oh, it was a nightmare, honestly. trying
to get a several ton animal into a crate and
then transporting it by truck over sometimes
very rough terrain. Yeah, that sounds incredibly
stressful for the animal. It was incredibly stressful,
not to mention dangerous. There was a real risk
of injury during the whole process. What kind
of injuries are we talking about? Well, everything
from muscle damage, from struggling the crate
to even horn damage. Yeah. And sadly, there were
cases where their airways would become obstructed
during transport. which could be fatal. Oh, wow.
So the whole process was fraught with danger.
And then you have the issue of accessibility.
A lot of these rhino habitats are incredibly
remote, difficult to reach by road. So helicopters
really changed the game in terms of accessibility.
Oh, absolutely. They provided a much faster and
importantly less stressful way to relocate these
animals. OK, I'm picturing a rhino hanging from
a helicopter. This is where it gets really interesting.
Yeah, it's a sight to see. But before we get
to that, let's talk about how they actually capture
the rhino for transport. OK, so it all starts
with a dart, right? Right. Usually a wildlife
veterinarian of experience in aerial darting
will lean out of the helicopter to administer
the immobilizing drugs. Wow, leaning out of a
helicopter? Talk about a high pressure job? Yeah,
it takes a lot of skill and precision. Interestingly,
they often target younger rhinos or dominant
males for relocation. Oh, why is that? It's all
about maintaining genetic diversity and preventing
inbreeding within the populations. Oh, that makes
sense. So they're trying to mix things up a bit.
Exactly. And of course, they have to carefully
calculate the dosage of the immobilizing drugs
based on the rhino's weight. What kind of drugs
are we talking about? It's usually a combination
of a strong opioid and a tranquilizer to ensure
the animal is safely immobilized. And once the
rhino is down, then what? Well then a team on
the ground and in the air work together to quickly
gather data, take measurements, and implant microchips
for tracking. Okay, so now we're getting to the
part where they actually lift the rhino. Right.
They carefully secure the rhino's ankles with
these big padded straps which are connected to
a rope that's attached to the helicopter. and
then up it goes. Yeah, pretty much the helicopter
hoists the rhino into the air and transports
it to a central location, could be a staging
area, or directly to the release site. So this
is the part that always gets me why upside down.
Yeah, it seems counterintuitive. Sure. But research
has actually shown that this is the safest position
for the rhino's breathing. Seriously, I would
have thought that would make it harder to breathe.
It's because of their unique anatomy, their weight
and build. actually help to extend their head
and neck downwards when they're upside down,
which straightens their spine and keeps the airway
open. Wow, that's fascinating. I never would
have guessed. And here's another interesting
thing. The rhino's horn actually acts as a kind
of stabilizer during the flight. You mean the
very thing that makes them a target for poachers
helps them during the rescue. Exactly. It's like
a natural tail fin or a wind vane. It reduces
spinning and makes the flight smoother, more
aerodynamic. Wow. Talk about irony. They actually
tried other methods in the past, like laying
the Rhino on a board or securing it in a net,
but those proved less effective, and sometimes
even more dangerous. So what kind of helicopters
are they using for these Rhino airlifts? Two
main ones, the Airbus AS350S star. It's nicknamed
the Squirrel. And it's a good size for the job,
cost effective, and pretty widely available.
The Squirrel, that's kind of cute for such a
powerful machine. Uh -huh. Yeah, and then there's
the more iconic UH -1H Huey. Wait, the Huey?
As in the helicopter from the Vietnam War? The
one and only. Some of them still have patches
over bullet holes and stuff. Wow. So these helicopters
have seen some action. Oh yeah. They're workhorses.
Incredibly powerful lifters. Fun fact. The sound
of the Huey's rotors was actually a comforting
sound for soldiers during the war. It meant help
was on the way. And now they're helping rhinos.
That's pretty amazing. It's a remarkable turnaround
from being used in conflict to being used for
conservation. And it's kind of ironic considering
that poachers used helicopters to hunt rhinos
back in the 80s. Yeah, it really highlights how
things can change and how technology can be used
for both good and bad purposes. So all this effort,
all this technology, is it actually making a
difference for the black rhino population? It
really seems to be. For example, in the Mibia's
Kine region, black rhinos were almost completely
wiped out. But thanks to airlifts, they've been
able to reestablish a presence in this very rugged
mountainous area. Wow, so the helicopters really
opened up new possibilities for conservation.
Absolutely, and there are some larger initiatives
as well, like the Rhinos Without Borders project.
What's that one all about? It started in 2014
with the goal of moving 100 rhinos from South
Africa to Botswana. Why Botswana? Botswana has
a much lower poaching rate. They've been very
successful in protecting their rhino population.
What's their secret? Well, for one thing, they
have a well -funded and highly trained military
that's allowed to use lethal force against poachers.
Well, they don't mess around. Nope. They're serious
about protecting their wildlife. And Botswana
also has a lower human population density and
vast areas that are inaccessible by road, which
makes it harder for poachers to operate. Makes
sense. So it's kind of like a rhino safe haven.
Exactly. And the Rhinos Without Borders project
has already moved a good number of rhinos, though
it's not cheap. It costs about $45 ,000 to a
rhino to relocate them. $45 ,000 per rhino? That's
a lot of money. It is. But it shows just how
committed these conservationists are to saving
these animals. And it really highlights the severity
of the poaching problem. Absolutely. Rhino poaching
reached a crisis point in 2015. Over 1 ,300 rhinos
were poached across Africa, most of them in South
Africa. It's so sad and all because of this unfounded
belief that rhino horn has medicinal properties.
Yeah, it's heartbreaking, really. Rhino horn
is made of keratin, the same stuff as our fingernails.
It has no proven medicinal value whatsoever.
But that hasn't stopped the black market demand.
Unfortunately not, which is why relocating rhinos
to safer areas disrupting poaching networks is
so important. And establishing those new populations
in places like Botswana. Exactly. It's all about
giving these animals a fighting chance for the
future. And Botswana has seen some real success.
Their rhino population has grown from under 100
to around 170, with a goal of reaching 400. That's
encouraging to hear. So it sounds like these
relocation efforts are having a positive impact.
They definitely seem to be, but it's an ongoing
battle and there's still a lot of challenges
ahead. And some pretty drastic measures being
considered. I've even heard about dehorning.
Yeah, that's a controversial one. Surgically
removing the rhino's horn to make them less attractive
to poachers. I can see how that would be effective,
but it also seems kind of sad. There are definitely
pros and cons to it. It's a complex issue. with
no easy answers. So it's a balancing act weighing
the potential benefits against the ethical concerns.
And of course, there are also concerns about
the cost and environmental impact of using helicopters
so extensively. Yeah, that's a valid point. But
I guess for many, the urgency of saving these
animals outweighs those concerns. That's the
argument many conservationists make, that the
obligation to protect critically endangered species
like rhinos justifies these extraordinary measures.
And you can't really argue with that rhinos have
been around for millions of years. We can't let
them disappear on our watch. Exactly. It's our
responsibility to do everything we can to ensure
their survival. What's been fascinating learning
about this unique and frankly quite surprising
use of helicopters and conservation. Yeah, who
would have thought that these machines once associated
with war would now be playing such a crucial
role in saving rhinos. It's a testament to human
ingenuity and our capacity to adapt and use technology
for good. It's also a reminder that we need to
be constantly innovating and finding new ways
to protect our planet and the creatures that
inhabit it. And who knows what other amazing
applications of technology we might see in the
future. The possibilities are endless, and that's
what makes this field so exciting. Well said.
On that note, for our listeners who want to delve
deeper into the world of rhino conservation,
be sure to follow meteorologist Rob Jones on
Instagram at Meteorologist. You can also find
them on TikTok at TV Meteorologist. And on YouTube,
search for Rob Jones Hurricane, where you'll
find the Meteorology Matters podcast playlist
and tons of other fascinating content. And as
you go about your day, we leave you with this
thought, what other unexpected intersections
of technology and conservation might emerge in
the years to come. Food or thought? Thanks for
listening, everyone. Until next time.