DHL Global Forwarding helps to relocate wild cats from Ukraine to South Africa

January 18, 2022: In line with its commitment to support wildlife conservation, leading logistics player DHL Global Forwarding recently assisted a conservation organization with the rescue of five lions and one tiger from captivity.

On behalf of the non-profit organisation named Warriors of Wildlife, the wild cats, all born in Ukraine, were relocated safely to their new home in South Africa. Following this transport, the non-profit organization has rescued a total of 28 wild cats and other animals from Ukraine. In the recent past, DHL Global Forwarding has also helped relocate several brown bears, pandas, and most recently, “the world’s loneliest elephant,” Kaavan.

“To make the journey as pleasant as possible for our special guests, profound expertise and a well coordinated team are key. Our ‘Lions and Falcons of DHL’, as I like to call our staff, brought the animals safely back to their wild home base. In the sanctuary of Warriors of Wildlife, they are finally back where they belong – two of them have South African parents. The lions Hercules, Cher, Khaya, Ilana, another male lion that was named Arslan by our Turkish Air Freight team, as well as the tiger Kisa, travelled with us for 72 hours. Not an easy job, but one we accepted wholeheartedly," said Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding MEA.

The wild cats were kept in a private zoo in Chernivtsi and a zoo in Nikolaev in the south of Ukraine. DHL helped bring them to a sanctuary run by the head of the wildlife organization Lionel de Lange, Director Warriors of Wildlife and Simbonga Game Farm & Sanctuary.

The Simbonga Game Farm & Sanctuary is located near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape, South Africa and throughout the whole journey the animals were monitored by veterinary specialists. Incidentally, in Ukraine, the DHL team also had the support of a Ukrainian vet until departure. Together with the director of Warriors for Wildlife and another veterinarian they boarded their flight from Boryspil International Airport to O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

For the last leg of their journey the cats travelled via road before they were finally welcomed into their new home. “Transporting wild cats is always a great challenge and requires the trust and cooperation of all parties involved. With DHL as an experienced animal logistics partner, we were able to manage this complex coordination effort with ease and bring the animals safely back to their home. Now, the lions and the tigress are in the very best environment with the proper care they need,” said Lionel de Lange, Director of the Warriors of Wildlife and Simbonga Game Farm & Sanctuary.