A YORK wildlife consultant is seeking funding to develop a dart which delivers anaesthetics to animals.

Richard Price, the inventor and founder of Ecodart, was born and brought up in York, although the company is now based in Hampshire.

He was one of the first people to be licensed to use tranquilliser darts in the UK and spent more than 30 years working with big game and animal conservation around the world.

Richard has invented a dart, called EcoVet, which delivers anaesthetic through a patented airbag system designed to improve the range and accuracy of delivery.

He has developed the product with ballistics engineers and defence establishments.

His invention has already been marketed and field-tested in Africa and he is now seeking investors and funding with the help of Russell Turner, managing director of York-based accountants Garbutt & Elliott. Richard said: “Unfortunately, the traditional flying syringe dart has inescapable severe limitations of both range and accuracy, mainly because it was never designed to fly. Capture teams have to get very close and risk attack unless expensive helicopters are used, which frighten and stress the animals.

“EcoVet is simple, accurate, reliable and gentle.”

Mr Price has also developed and patented a biodegradable long-range medication delivery system, the EcoLance, which has been designed for mass vaccination and medication delivery in public areas of public access where metal dart residues could be harmful.