DHL has successfully delivered a family of nine silverback gorillas from Port Lympne Wild AnimalPark in Kent, South East England, to the Batéké Plateau National Park, Gabon, on the west coast of
Central Africa, as part of a unique conservation initiative in cooperation with The AspinallFoundation.The journey covered 9,000 km with the gorillas departing from the UK to Brussels. From there,they were flown in a specially equipped Boeing 767 to Lagos, Nigeria, and then to Franceville,Gabon. For the final stretch, they were flown in a helicopter to the national park in collaborationwith the Gabonese authorities.
In addition to the animals with a combined weight of 620kg, DHL also transported food andveterinarian equipment with a total weight of 1,200 kg on their journey home into the wild.
For this special delivery, the company reassigned two different aircraft from their regularflying schedule and temporarily reconfigured its global network to ensure the gorillas could bedelivered with just a few interruptions to their final destination.
Phil Couchman, CEO of DHL Express UK & Ireland, commented: “It’s no mean feat moving afamily of nine gorillas across the world. This is an extremely important cause and a greatlogistical undertaking for DHL – our priority throughout the operation has been the safety andwell-being of the animals. In working closely with The Aspinall Foundation, a world-leadingconservation charity, to prepare for the move, we ensured the smoothest possible journey for thegorillas.”
“Our dedicated ‘special delivery’ team, which includes staff from across DHL’s operation, fromaircraft engineers to cargo handlers, security teams, pilots and drivers, have done an excellentjob of ensuring the success of this project. We’re delighted to have been of assistance to thegorilla family and we hope they enjoy their new home,” he added.
Western lowland gorillas are classified as a critically endangered species, and this is thefirst attempt ever at returning an entire family to its natural habitat. The Aspinall Foundation’s“Back to the Wild” initiative is part of its ongoing commitment to restock the wild with endangeredand critically endangered species, following its uniquely successful programmes of captive breedingat its Kent wildlife parks.
