animals in the air “You have to minimise delays in order to reduce stress.
You are usually bringing something into a zoo that is endangered, wild, or has been badly treated, and the change of environment and the stress of being transported mean that there is a danger of mortality.” For this reason, “Air freight is preferable for conservation –
we are dealing with rare, precious species and endangered animals. ATA has multimodal members covering air, ocean and trucking, but conservation-related transportation is mainly done by air, and secondarily by road.”
ENSURING QUALITY Gerard Guillaume, manager standards and procedures at Luxembourg-based all-cargo carrier Cargolux, agrees. “Air transportation is the quickest mode of transport – meaning that the stress period for the animal is the shortest. We (Cargolux) conduct feasibility checks and refuse a shipment when we consider that transportation time is too long, or involves too many stops. Usually, we do not accept interlines because ground handling time is too long and we can’t be sure about the quality of the other airline.” Moreover, he noted that Cargolux – recognised as a
leading player in the movement of a wide range of living creatures – takes a number of measures that seek to further maximise animals’ comfort during transit. “We can provide air conditioning adapted to the animal’s
requirements – our four air distribution systems and three air conditioning packs enable us to provide a temperature range between 4 and 29°C. Our auto pressurisation system can be manually set when a specific pressure is required, such as in the movement of marine mammals, and we work with Boeing to improve our B747-400F aircraft capabilities,” Guillaume pointed out.
“We have procedures and best practices in place to
reduce ground handling times; load planning ensures animals are last to be loaded and first to be offloaded; an attendant or vet can accompany the animal; we work in close coordination with the shipper, forwarder or vet upon booking and when an incident occurs; and we have a staff training programme at all our stations, with trained staff available 24/7.” The Cargolux hub in Luxembourg boasts an authorised
Border Inspection Post (BIP), with an on-site veterinarian’s office ensuring that all animals arriving or departing the gateway are kept contained in a “noise-protected” area approved by EU veterinarians. Animals are moved directly from the aircraft to the seven pens at the BIP in line with disease protection and sanitary concerns, and can be accommodated overnight if necessary. The carrier’s handler, LuxairCargo, has a state-of-the-art facility at Luxembourg, which includes a recently area for the handling and housing of live
800m2 added 250m2 animals. Its modular set-up, with isolated housing areas, 42 AIR LOGISTICSCHINA FedEx provides the Panda
FEDEX EXPRESS, the world’s largest express transportation company, donated its services in February this year to transport two rare giant pandas in specially designed containers from the US to China for delivery to the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Working in conjunction
A special hammock constructed to carry dolphins while being transported by air
with the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington and Zoo Atlanta, FedEx flew the pandas non-stop from Washington Dulles International airport to Chengdu on one of its MD-11 freighters, which had been painted in a commemorative ‘Panda Express’ livery for the 14.5 hour journey. David Bronczek, president
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