Using applied physiology to better manage and conserve the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

The white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), one of five remaining rhinoceros species, is particularly sensitive to etorphine, the opioid drug used for chemical capture. As a result, capture often results in morbidity and mortality. With the recent, unprecedented rise in rhino poaching, fuelled by a growing demand for rhino horn, intensive management procedures, including chemical capture, are key to the conservation and management of this large iconic species. The use of sophisticated physiological monitoring techniques in rhinoceros undergoing capture and other management procedures (e.g. translocation) and experimental trials of different pharmacological interventions have provided insights into the causes and consequences of capture-related pathophysiology. This chapter explores some of the approaches used to investigate physiological responses of the white rhinoceros, and how the results from experimental trials are helping us move towards safer methods of chemical capture and transport.