DHL Express flies 17 mountain bongo antelopes to Kenya

DHL Express partnered with Tusk, a charity dedicated to accelerating the impact of Africa-driven conservation, to transport 17 critically endangered mountain bongo 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.

Bred in Florida, mountain bongos are on the verge of extinction with fewer than 100 left in the wild due to poaching, forest degradation and habitat fragmentation, says an official release from DHL.

"As a partner of Tusk, DHL used its expert and specialist logistics services to provide point-to-point air transfer for the bongos. Meeting the requirement that the full herd be transported together, DHL provided a dedicated aircraft which carried the antelopes 7,146 nautical miles directly from Palm Beach International Airport (Florida) to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya."

The bongos were transported in custom-built crates with six tonnes of pelleted feed and three specialist animal care staff including a veterinarian and two bongo specialists from the U.S., the release added. "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 five 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, CEO, DHL Express Europe says: "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, Tusk adds: "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 organizations. 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."

Led by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (LEWA), the relocation of the bongos was a collaborative effort supported by the Meru Bongo & Rhino Conservation Trust (MBRCT) and the RSCF. The local communities surrounding the sanctuary will play a key role in running the conservation programme, creating education and employment opportunities that will support the region, the release added.