However, luck was again on our side and within 20 minutes after take-off, we spotted him. The veterinarian was ready, the pilot started his descent for darting….. and the dart hit!
We got the ground team in closer to keep an eye on his movements, but it wasn’t long before the drugs kicked in and Taylor was snoozing away….
The Vet said that his leg is fully functional and the injury he sustained was from natural causes. With time it would heal and he would have full mobility of his leg once more. We gave him a few ‘Grandpa’s for the pain and continued to take vitals as well as research material such as measurements, blood samples, tissue samples etc. These are imperative and helps us identify these animals in future conflict situations.
After about 30 minutes, the drugs were administrated for him to wake up. The total procedure from take-off to landing took us 1h22m. We flew a total of 36.30km.
Yona will continue to keep an eye on Taylor as he heals and should anything suspicious be picked up, we will be sure to get the vet team back out again.