01/04/2010 04:44 pm

DHL Transports Endangered Rhinoceros

DHL has helped transport four rhinoceros of a very rare subspecies on the brink of extinction from the Czech Republic to Kenya, where they will hopefully reproduce in the wild. There are only four other Northern White Rhinos in captivity, two more in the Czech Republic and two in San Diego. Other Northern White Rhinos are not known to be alive in the wild.

DHL Supply Chain (DSC) and DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) worked together to transport four of the world’s last known Northern White Rhinos. DSC, which had the lead in the operation, transported the magnificent mammals from a Czech zoo, where they had not produced offspring for nearly 24 years, to a Kenyan game park, where officials hope they will reproduce. National Geographic was on hand to film the transport, which will become a documentary in the near future.

The two male and two female rhinos, which weigh up to 4000kg when fully grown, were uplifted on Martin Air flight 8576 and arrived on December 20 at 3:35 am at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Nairobi Kenya.

DGF was asked by DSC and consignee Ol Pejeta conservancy to provide customs clearance services for the animals. “Our role was to ensure that all staff and visitors to the apron had the relevant security clearance,” explains George Songe, Air Imports Manager, DHL Global Forwarding Kenya.  “The passes were processed for the trucks and lifting equipment and we processed documentation with the airline, Kenya Customs, Kenya Airports Authority and Veterinary Office,” says Mr. Songe. The next stage of inland transportation brought the animals to Ol Pejeta conservancy located between the northern slopes of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdares.

The northern white rhino is the world's rarest large mammal, making the international effort to save the subspecies all the more important. Objective No. 1 is to get as many offspring as you can from the females – at least one calf out of each within two years. DHL will enjoy media publicity on the documentary that is in preparation, branding at the first home for the Rhinos and coverage on local and international news channels. For at least 6 months, the animals will be kept in a caged environment where they will acclimatize before being released.

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