Up and Away! Photos of Rhinos in Flight

Rhino in Flight

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

Suspended from a helicopter, a critically endangered black rhino (sedated) takes a 10-minute flight to a vehicle destined for a new habitat safe from poachers.

Trussed-Up Rhino

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

Suspending the rhinos from their ankles is the safest way for them to travel, according to the World Wildlife Foundation in South Africa, which oversees the rhino transfer program. Trucks are too slow, and suspending the animal in a net from a helicopter can interfere with its breathing.

Rhino in the Sky

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

The rhinos were taken on 10-minute flights to nearby trucks that would transfer them to new habitats.

Rhino Silhouette

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

A sedated rhinoceros silhouetted against the South African sky.

Rhino Transport

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

The WWF team moved the animals to a protected habitat in northern South Africa.

Wake Up, Rhino

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

Jacques Flamand of WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project administers the antidote to wake up a black rhino which has just been released to a new home after an epic 930 mile (1500 kilometer) journey.

Sleeping Rhino

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

A team of conservationists works on a sedated black rhino.

Rhino on the Ground

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

Poachers target the rhinos for their horns, which bring a high price on the black market.

Strapping In

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

In the 1990s, the population of wild black rhinos was only about 2,000 individuals strong. This crisis situation has triggered efforts to relocate individuals to safe habitat, expanding their range. The hope is that the animals will breed quickly in their new homes.

Clearing the Trees

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

A rhino takes flight.

Up, Up and Away

WWF transports black rhinoceroses by helicopter

(Image credit: Green Renaissance/WWF)

The WWF rhino project has relocated almost 120 individuals since 2003.

Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.