LANDROVER WITH HUNTERS; HELICOPTER HUNTING RHINOS; RHINO SHOT WITH DRUGGED DART; UNCONSCIOUS ANIMAL BEING LOADED INTO TRUCK; RHINO RECOVERS.




Initials HT/V//JF/SGM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: BLACK RHINOS IN THE BUSH COUNTRY NEAR NAIROBI, THE CAPITAL OF KENYA, ARE BEING HUNTED DOWN AND DRUGGED IN ORDER TO BE TRANSPORTED TO SPECIAL AREAS IN THE NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK. THE OPERATION FOLLOWS SERIOUS DAMAGE TO CROPS BY THE ANIMALS.

HELICOPTERS AND LANDROVERS ARE BEING USED TO HUNT DOWN THE BEAST, LED BY DR. JOHN KING OF KENYA'S GAME CAPTURER UNIT. DR. KING HAS PERFECTED A DOSE OF A DRUG M99, WHICH WILL RENDER A RHINO UNCONSCIOUS LONG ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE GAME RESERVE.

THE DRUG IS ADMINISTERED BY DRUG-TIPPED DART FIRED FROM A LARGE BORE RIFLE, AND USUALLY TAKES BETWEEN 15 AND 20 MINUTES TO TAKE EFFECT.

THE OPERATION TO REMOVE THE RHINOS WAS INSTITUTED AFTER SEVERE DAMAGE TO CROPS IN THE AREA OF THE NGONG HILLS, 20 MILES (32 KMS) FROM NAIROBI.