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The current mortality rate for rhinoceros translocations in South Africa and Namibia is estimated to be 5% ( 2). Despite the widespread use and importance of this practice, rhinoceros translocations often result in morbidity and even mortality ( 3, 4). Hundreds of white rhinoceroses ( Ceratotherium simum) are translocated each year for conservation purposes ( 2). Translocation is the deliberate human-mediated movement of individuals or populations of wild animals from one location to another ( 1). Midazolam, at the dose used in this study, was not able to mitigate adrenal responses to stress and appeared to directly influence leukocyte responses. Rhinoceroses experienced a decrease in unsaturated fatty acids and an increase in lipid peroxidation products at capture and toward the end of transport indicating oxidative stress. A reduction in serum iron concentrations may suggest the mounting of an acute phase response. Neutrophils progressively increased and lymphocytes and eosinophils progressively decreased from T0 to T6, resulting in an increase in neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio a characteristic leukocyte response to circulating glucocorticoids. Packed cell volume decreased from TC to T6 indicating that stress hemoconcentration occurred at TC. Increases in plasma epinephrine and serum cortisol concentrations indicated that rhinoceroses mounted a stress response to capture and transport. Changes in hematological and immunological variables over time and between groups were compared using general mixed models.
RHINOCEROS 6 CHANGE MEASUREMENTS SERIAL
Serial blood samples were collected at capture (TC), the start of transport (T0) and after 6 h of transport (T6). Azaperone (group A) or midazolam (group M) were re-administered intramuscularly every 2 h during transport. Rhinoceroses were immobilized with either etorphine-azaperone (group A, n = 11) or etorphine-midazolam (group M, n = 12) intramuscularly by darting from a helicopter.
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Twenty three wild white rhinoceros bulls were transported for 6 h (280 km) within the Kruger National Park for reasons unrelated to this study. We investigated whether the potent anxiolytic drug midazolam was able to mitigate these responses compared to azaperone, which is more commonly used during rhinoceros transport. In this study we measured rhinoceros stress responses to capture and transport by quantifying hematological and immunological changes together with adrenal hormone concentrations. To improve conservation efforts, it is crucial to understand the pathophysiology of rhinoceros stress responses and investigate drug combinations that could reduce these responses. Capture and transport are essential procedures for the management and conservation of southern white rhinoceroses ( Ceratotherium simum simum), but are associated with stress-induced morbidity and mortality.