DHL, the world’s leading express and Logistics Company, was commissioned to transport two giant pandas from Chengdu in China to Brussels, using a dedicated DHL B767 freighter aircraft. Their departure marks the start of a 15-year cooperation of giant panda breeding research between China and Belgium. The female, Hao Hao, and the male, Xing Hui, are both aged four years old.
“The Pandastic journey from China Conservation Research Center of the Giant Panda’s Dujiangyan panda base to Belgium’s Pairi Daiza is a little over 8,000 kilometers. The pandas are expected to spend 15 years at Pairi Daiza, a 55-acre garden that plays host to over 5 000 animals. With the support of the University of Ghent, a special breeding and research program has been designed, aimed at helping to avert the future extinction of this endangered species.
To ensure an easy and comfortable journey, DHL and China Conservation & Research Center for the Giant Panda created bespoke travelling crates spacious enough for pandas to stay comfortable throughout the journey. The cages were also designed with a special roof in the style of ancient
DHL has supported a number of conservation projects in recent years, including the return of nine silverback gorillas from the UK to the wild in Gabon, the delivery of two rare Sumatran tigers from the Australia and the US to ZSL London Zoo for a breeding program. Last year, DHL also provided expert logistics and both ground and air transportation to relocate several endangered Florida manatees.
