Further refinement of helicopter capture for Australian chital deer (Axis axis)
Matt Amos A * , Tom R. De Ridder
B , Anthony Pople A , Michael Brennan A and Jordan O. Hampton C D
A Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia.
B QBiotics Group, 165 Moggill Road, Taringa, Qld 4068, Australia.
C Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia.
D Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
Abstract
This study improves a technique to capture wild chital deer (Axis axis) in northern Australia by darting from a helicopter. We quantified several metrics, including the frequency of adverse animal welfare events. Mortality at the time of capture was 15%, but no animals died post-release, and the frequencies of hyperthermia and hypoxaemia were lower than in previous operations. This study can be used as a template for iterative refinement of high-risk capture methodologies.
Keywords: animal welfare, chital deer, darting, helicopter capture, mortality, stress, telemetry, ungulates.
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