Giraffe relocated to nature reserve
39 giraffes were transported on a Boeing B777F aircraft, from a farm in Johannesburg to a new 10,000 hectare game reserve in Bangkok.
Intradco Global worked with a team of specialist animal handlers during the transportation, the team were on-hand proving assistance and expert advice throughout the entire process from loading through to the animals release in Bangkok, Thailand.
Loading at the farm began in the early hours of the morning, which was situated just two hours north of Johannesburg. We had a specialised loading bay to transfer the giraffes to the 3m high crates – the size of the crates was fundamental as the giraffes to stand fully stretched.
The trucks departed from the farm at 5am to avoid traffic and allow for loading at the airport to happen in cooler temperatures. Upon arrival at the airport, the crates were placed onto the airline pallets using a crane and winch with a very experienced crane driver. To minimise the loading process an aircraft parking position located closest to the warehouse was chosen, and the whole process was complete within two and a half hours.
During flight, besides regular temperature checks and monitoring, there is little to be done. The crates are designed with small viewing gaps to allow the on board team to regularly check the behaviour and safety of animals throughout the flight.
Once landed in Singapore, the team were met by a police escort to accompany the flatbed trucks to lead the team to the quarantine centre. All 39 giraffes were delivered safely and in good health, with the veterinary checks 24 hours after release showing all giraffe to be in perfect condition, ready to settle in to their new home.
