Once the animals are down and stable, a ground team from the trucks comes to assist. Then it’s relatively simple because Conservation Solutions have been doing it for many years. They have executed both the largest number and farthest distance elephant translocations in history. Because of their extensive experience, everyone keeps their cool even when things look chaotic to a bystander.
While sleeping, the elephants are picked up by their by their feet and loaded directly onto the transport trucks. This loading method is 100% safe for the animals. Their legs are double strapped and they are in the air for less than 60 seconds. It takes mere moments to lay them down in the truck. When it’s safe, a dose of the antidote is given to the elephant in the crates, and then they stand up. Before the truck departs they are given a small dose of the tranquiliser to keep them calm for the duration of the journey.