Acidemia represents a major life-threatening factor during rhinoceros capture. The acid-base status during rhinoceros transport is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in acid-base status during rhinoceros capture and transport and compare these changes between rhinoceroses sedated with azaperone or midazolam. Twenty-three wild white rhinoceros bulls were road-transported 280 km for reasons unrelated to this study. Rhinoceroses were captured with etorphine-azaperone (Group A) or etorphine-midazolam (Group M). During transport, azaperone (Group A) or midazolam (Group M) was re-administered every 2 h and venous blood collected. Changes in blood pH and associated variables were compared over time and between groups using a general linear mixed model. Rhinoceroses of both groups experienced a respiratory and metabolic acidosis during capture (pH 7.109 ± 0.099 and 7.196 ± 0.111 for Group A and Group M, respectively) that was quickly compensated for by the start of transport (pH 7.441 ± 0.035 and 7.430 ± 0.057) and remained stable throughout the journey. Rhinoceroses from Group M showed a smaller decrease in pH and associated variables at capture than rhinoceroses from Group A (p = 0.012). The use of midazolam instead of azaperone could therefore improve the success of rhinoceros capture and thus, contribute to the outcome of important conservation translocations.

中文翻译：

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在南方白犀牛 (Ceratotherium simum simum) 的捕获和运输过程中，咪达唑仑对酸碱状态的改变小于阿扎哌隆。


酸血症是犀牛捕获过程中威胁生命的主要因素。犀牛运输过程中的酸碱状态尚不清楚。本研究的目的是描述犀牛捕获和运输过程中酸碱状态的变化，并比较用阿扎哌隆或咪达唑仑镇静的犀牛之间的这些变化。由于与本研究无关的原因，23 头野生白犀牛被公路运输了 280 公里。用埃托啡-阿扎哌隆（A 组）或埃托啡-咪达唑仑（M 组）捕获犀牛。在转运过程中，每2小时重新给予阿扎哌隆（A组）或咪达唑仑（M组）并收集静脉血。使用一般线性混合模型比较不同时间和组间血液 pH 值和相关变量的变化。两组犀牛在捕获期间都经历了呼吸性和代谢性酸中毒（A组和M组分别为pH 7.109±0.099和7.196±0.111），但在运输开始后迅速得到补偿（pH 7.441±0.035和7.430±0.057）并在整个旅程中保持稳定。与 A 组犀牛相比，M 组犀牛在捕获时 pH 值和相关变量的下降幅度较小 ( p = 0.012)。因此，使用咪达唑仑代替阿扎哌隆可以提高犀牛捕获的成功率，从而有助于重要的保护易地的结果。