[post_page_title]The first phase[/post_page_title]
The first step in the translocation of so many elephants was arguably the most difficult and complex. This involved sedating the elephants, in order to get them on the ten 30 ton rig trucks.
Teams flew helicopters above the elephant herds while shooting precise tranquilizer darts, which was an insanely challenging task in itself. A dart landing in the wrong place could be fatal, and so veterinarians and conservationists were very rigorously trained for the job. So while shooting darts from a helicopter might sound fun, not just anyone can do it!