DHL Express has flown critically endangered mountain bongo antelopes from Florida, US to a sanctuary in Kenya using one dedicated aircraft to carry all 17 of the animals.
The transportation of the antelopes from the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RSCF) in Florida to a sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Kenya, run by the Meru Bongo and Rhino Conservation Trust, was carried out in partnership with Tusk, a charity dedicated to accelerating the impact of Africa-driven conservation.
DHL provided point-to-point air transfer for the antelopes. Meeting the requirement that the full herd be transported together, the logistics company provided a dedicated aircraft which carried the antelopes 7146 nautical miles directly from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO).
The antelopes were transported in custom-built crates, alongside six tonnes of pelleted feed and three specialist animal care staff including a veterinarian and two bongo specialists from the US.
Bred in Florida, mountain bongo antelopes are on the verge of extinction with fewer than 100 left in the wild due to poaching, forest degradation and habitat fragmentation.
The mountain bongos were released into a 20-acre sanctuary, which has been set aside for their long-term management and recovery by the Kenya Forest Service.
The sanctuary plays a critical role in the national recovery plan and is key to the ongoing success of the project.
Formed by 12 female and 5 male bongo antelopes, the herd will remain in the paddocks to safely breed. The offspring will then slowly be reintroduced into Mount Kenya’s forest ecosystem, from which they have been absent for over 40 years.
Mike Parra, chief executive DHL Express Europe, said: “We are so proud to be able to leverage the power and expertise of our global network to assist in transporting these critically endangered bongo antelopes to their new sanctuary in Kenya.
“The logistics of moves such as this are incredibly complex, with the welfare of the animals being everyone’s top priority. A huge thank you to our partners at Tusk, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and everyone involved in making this important conservation mission a success.”
Charlie Mayhew, founder and president of Tusk, added: “The return of 17 critically endangered mountain bongos from Florida to Kenya is a significant step in restoring this critically endangered species to its native habitat, and demonstrates the conservation progress that can be made through collaboration.
"We are hugely grateful to our global partner DHL Express for their generous support in transporting the bongos – yet another key milestone in the partnership between our organisations. DHL’s dedication to environmental sustainability, and its role as a responsible corporate partner in supporting Tusk’s mission to protect Africa’s wildlife and natural habitat, is invaluable.”
