Darting Techniques In
Wild Animals
Drug Administration in Wild
Animals
• 4 basic types:
• Hand injection with syringe
• Pole syringe – “jabstick”
• Blow gun
• Dart gun
• Oral Medications
• Administered through feed
• Hand held syringes
• Projected syringes Or Darts
• Guns
• Pistol
• Rifle
• Blowpipe
Delivery Systems
The blow pipe is the most
basic of all remote drug
delivery systems and is
commonly used in zoo work
By blowing into a 1 to 2 meter
pipe, a trained operator can
accurately propel a lightweight
(3mL) drug dart a distance of
up to 10 meters.
Blow Pipe
• The rigid blow pipe has a tube and a mouth cuff.
• The mouth cuff needs to be compact and in size to facilitate the adequate
blowing of air.
• The blowgun is becoming more popular among zoo veterinarians and the
major merit is the silent projection.
• At the same time, this may cause lesser impact or trauma or injury to the
targeted wild animal.
• The average length of blow pipe is about 1 to 2 meters and the maximum
range actually depends on the stamina of the user.
• In general, the average range is about fifteen meters.
Air Pressure Gun
• These equipments mainly are similar to the blow pipe in structure
• but is bigger in size and
• has an added advantage of silent projections and low maintenance cost.
• The gun stock may have inbuilt pressure gauge. Some times, the pressure
gauge may be present at the foot pump.
• It is to be remembered that the pressure requirement may have variations
and this often depends on the
• size of the dart as well as the
• distance between the wild animal and the gun.
• Air pressure of about four to eight bars is adequate to propel the dart upto a
distance of about twenty to thirty meters.
Cross Bow
• The cross bow is not much used now a day.
• Further, it is to be taken note of that the cross bow
is not suitable for species under hundred Kg.
• This may be due to the high impact capacity that
may be developed by the projected one.
Dart Gun
• 3 types of dart guns:
• Powder charged
• CO2
• Air
Delivery Systems: Capture Guns
Air-powered gun
•Pistol or rifle
•Can handle larger darts than blow gun
•Longer range than blow gun
•Impact trauma not severe if proper technique used, but still
potentially dangerous
Combustion-powered gun
•Pistol or rifle
•Can handle large darts (6–10 inches)
•Poor range with largest darts; extended range with smaller darts
•Higher potential for impact trauma than previous delivery
systems
Syringes
Stick Syringes
• Various stick syringes are available commercially.
• Silently, approach the animal cage
• Then quickly carry out the injection after the exposure of
the correct site like a suitable muscular area in the
abdomen.
• The thrust needs to be made in proper manner and in a
fast manner.
Dart Syringe Or Dart
• These are the specialized syringes used for loading of the
immobilizing drug like xylazine or ketamine or both or
etorphine.
• Darts are operated by mechanical pressure or by using the gas
• Proper loading of dart into the blow pipe is a must for a
successful immobilization event.
• These projectile syringes are generally propelled by blowing of
air, pistol, long distance rifle.
• Cartridges may be used for the pressure if the distant delivery
systems like rifles are used in case of wild animals.
Darts
Animal Immobilization Equipment
Parts of Dart
Dart needles useful in
delivery of drug materials
Collared needle Barbed needle
Dart
Loading of Dart into Blowpipe
•Air-activated mechanism
Consist of a plastic body into which air is
introduced through a one-way valve in the
tail piece and compressed behind the
plunger.
At impact a silicone seal is displaced,
exposing a port in the side of the needle.
The plunger is pushed forward by air
pressure, and the drug is expelled trough
the port
• Blow pipe darts before and after drug expulsion:
a) silicon seal,
b) port in the side of the needle,
c) drug chamber,
d) plunger,
e) compressed air chamber,
f) stabilisator
Application Of
Darting
Equipments
Apparatus Required
1. Blow gun or blow pipe
2. Remote distance delivery equipment
1. short range projector (Pistol)
2. long distance projectors (Rifle)
3. Foot pump to pressurize the individual
dart
4. Pressure-gauze with tube that can be
attached with either foot pump or
pistol
5. Prepared dart
6. Wild animal model for darting
Application Of Blow Gun
• Silently approach the concerned wild animal, without
causing any excitement or sound to the possible extent.
• Aim the concerned targeted site of wild animal to be
chemically immobilized.
• Now insert the prepared dart well into the blow pipe
• Dart has to be inserted beyond the margin of mouth
cuff-end of the blow pipe.
• Fix the mouth cuff well.
• Always make a double check- up about the good fixation
of the mouth cuff.
• Silently assess the approximate distance between the
wild animal and yourself.
• Now, blow the air effectively through the mouth-cuff
• Now the dart may be seen moving from the blow pipe
towards the targeted site
• If the wild animal moves away before all the material is
injected, a second injection may be necessary.
• Range is only up to 15 meters.
Sites Of Darting - Dart
Placement
• Muscular region is the best site
• Shoulder region is the better site.
• Avoid the scapular area of the animal.
• Avoid injecting into the eye or over the bony
prominences or over the genitalia.
• In giraffe, pectoral muscle-area may be the
suitable
• In elephant, it is better to dart at the hind
quarters from behind
• In rhinos, neck may also be a better site of darting
• In felids, shoulder or thigh region may be the
better sites of darting
Darting Sites in Elephant
Darting sites in Cervids
Darting sites in Felids
• Training on non-living targets.
• The ideal „zebra design" for remote delivery drug
application
Ungulates
• Since ungulates are difficult to approach, immobilization is
used when:
• They are confined to a corral or trap
• They are moderately habituated to people
• Easiest method in some areas is to dart from a helicopter
Carnivores
• Trapping is usually recommended before
immobilization of large carnivores
• Can be immobilized with:
• Dart gun
• Blowpipes
• Syringe poles (jabstick)
After the Shot
• Approach slowly, quietly
• Animal may need re-dose if not fully anesthetized
• Assess depth of anesthesia
• Blink reflex, ear reflex, heart and respiration rate
After the Shot
• Proper positioning
• Sternal position for
ungulates
• Protect eyes
• Apply lubricant
• Blindfold
• Monitor vital signs
After the Shot
• Dart Removal
• Must be surgically removed (darts are barbed)
• Fill wound with antibiotic cream
• Observe animal until complete recovery
• If animal does not recover properly, then euthanasia
may be the only option
