The effects of feeding and transport length on the welfare of white rhinoceroses ( Ceratotherium simum simum ) during long-distance translocations: a preliminary study

Abstract

Wildlife translocation has been defined as the "deliberate movement of organisms from one site for release in another" (IUCN/SSC 2012). Translocations are a useful tool to reestablish populations, to improve the conservation status of a species and to fight the loss of biodiversity (IUCN/SSC 2012). However, translocations of wildlife are a complex, costly and high-risk endeavour (Berger-Tal et al. 2020). The success rate of translocations is variable and chronic stress-related complications possibly lead to translocation failures, especially after release and during the establishment phase (Dickens et al. 2009). The mortality rates resulting from rhinoceros translocations in South Africa and Namibia are estimated at 5% (Miller et al. 2016). In 2018, several translocations made tragic headlines when 11 out of 11 black rhinoceroses transported in Kenya died, and four out of six rhinoceroses translocated from South Africa to Chad died within months of release into their new habitat (Modise & Read 2018; Save the Rhino 2018). These losses not only attracted great criticism, but posed a great cost to the conservation organisations involved.Stress was blamed as the primary cause of the failure of these translocations. While an acute stress response can benefit the adaptation process, chronic stress occurs when the physiological stress response system is overwhelmed and persisting or repeated exposure to stressors leads to pathology (Dickens et al. 2010;Linklater et al. 2010;Teixeira et al. 2007). The transport of domestic animals, and even more so, wild animals, inevitably involves several stressors such as unfamiliar handling, surroundings, noise, the movement of the transport vehicle, the extended time standing, as well as the deprivation of food and water (