Helicopter‐based immobilization of moose using butorphanol–azaperone–medetomidine

Chemical immobilization is an important tool for the capture, study, and management of wildlife. Increased regulation traditional opioids has necessitated a search alternative drugs in wildlife capture. Butorphanol–azaperone–medetomidine (BAM) one promising that been used range taxa, though often on medium-size mammals using ground-based methods. We tested efficacy BAM via remote delivery from helicopter wild population moose (Alces alces shirasi) northwestern Wyoming. In March 2020 2021, we immobilized male (n = 15) female 26) with butorphanol (0.20 mg/kg), azaperone (0.066 medetomidine (0.079 antagonists atipamezole (0.495–0.527 mg/kg) naltrexone (0.124–0.151 to reverse immobilizations. Mean induction (x̄ ± SE; 9.2 0.6 min) mean recovery times (7.2 0.5 were longer but still comparable published instances captured chemical immobilizers (carfentanil, etorphine, thiafentanil). All animals survived >60 days post-capture. Our findings add body work demonstrating provides rapid inductions, reliable sedation, quick reversals variety taxa by aerial delivery.