DHL Express has 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.

DHL said that as a partner of Tusk, it used its specialist logistics services to provide point-to-point air transfer for the bongos.

To meet the requirement of transporting the entire herd together, DHL provided a dedicated aircraft that 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, alongside 6 tonnes of pelleted feed and 3 specialist animal care staff including a veterinarian and 2 bongo specialists from the U.S.

The mountain bongos were released into a 20-acre sanctuary, which the Kenya Forest Service has set aside for their long-term management and recovery. The sanctuary plays a critical role in the national recovery plan and is key to the project's ongoing success. 

"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," said Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Europe.

"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," he added.

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (LEWA) led the relocation of the bongos, which was supported by the Meru Bongo & Rhino Conservation Trust (MBRCT) and the RSCF. 

Tusk acts as an official partner of DHL Express, working closely with LEWA, MBRCT, and RSCF to provide highly efficient solutions for funding wildlife conservation programs.