The netgun: a specialised tool in modern wildlife capture. Originally developed in the 1960s for capturing live animals without lethal force, netguns are specially modified firearms designed to discharge a net over an animal at close range. They’re often used during helicopter-based or ground pursuit captures—especially for smaller antelope species, birds, or animals in enclosures where darting may be too risky or slow. The system works by using a blank cartridge or compressed air to launch a we