IAG Cargo is welcoming six V.I.Ps on British Airway"™ first A380 flight to Miami on October 25. The six rhinos are embarking on a heavyweight journey from Johannesburg to Miami to ensure the continued genetic diversity for breeding programmes which are part of a global conservation effort.
Gabriella Tamasi, Product Manager, Live Animals at IAG Cargo, explains: "With these rhinos weighing one metric tonne each, they take up a lot of space, so we need an aircraft that can handle them. Importantly, the A380 allows us to control the hold temperature to within one degree of accuracy "“ which is really important as rhinos give off a lot of body heat and we need to keep the temperature as comfortable as possible for these magnificent creatures. "
On the aircraft, specialists from IAG Cargo as well as veterinary teams will be available every step of the way to ensure a comfortable and relaxed flight. The creatures will be transported via IAG Cargo"™s Live Animals product, which specialises in the movement of animals of all types: from dogs and cats to lions and rhinos.
Rhinos in Africa face a range of external threats including poaching and an encroachment on their space by humans. White rhinos have become a conservation success story. Numbers in the wild dropped to as low as 50 in the early 1900s, but this subspecies of rhino has now increased in number to more than 20,000, becoming the most populous of all the rhino species. International zoo breeding programmes will help to ensure the long-term success of the species well away from the threat of poachers.
In August 2015 IAG Cargo filmed another special movement of a pair of lion cubs and a pair of southern white rhinos which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHmN0aLffvE
