Does any have some experience with this??
Moving wild game using darts it's not easy, they wake up before arriving to the new areas and this can be a problem.
Any imputs..??
Thanks
L

Hi Lorenzo, I have no experience with darting myself, but could maybe ask a friend who would probably know. What animals are we dealing with? Some animals are ok even though they have not been darted or sedated. In Africa, many of the herd antelope species are simply rounded up with choppers into a crate on the back of a trailer and trucked away. This is the cheapest form of relocation for many species. Impala and probably other antelope do occasionally die from shock with capture, especially if nets are used and they are handled excessively without sedatives in the heat. Over-heating is a problem for a darted animal, as they can not regulate or cool their body temperature once they are out.

I know some cats, such as cheetahs, are quite sensitive to immobilization drugs, and I know that they come around much sooner than most animals due to their fast metabolism, and it takes vets who really know what they are doing, as they can die obviously if under for too long as well.

How far is the distance between darting and the new boma or release area? If the animals need to be sedated on a lengthy trip, then it may be a problem. Bigger animals can sometimes be a problem too if they lie down and can cause breathing problems or potential blood-pressure problems with say a giraffe. I hope this has been some use,
Cheers for now,
Nzou.

Hi Lorenzo, I think that most animals probably wake up in the back of the crate/truck if more drugs are not administered on a long trip. I don't think this will be a problem if the animal is well-contained and can not break out of it's cage or are tied-up so they can not hurt themselves or each other. It will probably be a stressful experience for the animal(s), but something they should get over ok. If you can cover their eyes with a sack/old tea-shirt etc and string, it seems to calm most animals down a fair bit. The eyes must also be covered once the animal is darted to prevent the sun damaging it's eyes.

If you are darting anything big and dangerous, just remember to be careful at all times. Animals have been known to come around at awkward times and without warning, such as when a research team were still around it, taking measurements, fitting collars, etc! I am sure the vet and darting team will warn you too of the dangers of the drugs used. I think that vets use a drug called M99 on large animals, and if you even so much as prick yourself, you may be dead before you know it unless the antidote is quickly injected. It is obviously pretty rare, but something to be prepared for. If or when the antidote is adminstered to an animal(s) they usually come around incredibly fast, and they will probably not be in a jovial mood either, so always bear that in mind too.