DHL Global Forwarding Supports Warriors of Wildlife

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability and animal welfare, DHL Global Forwarding has supported a conservation organization in freeing five lions and a tigress from captivity. On behalf of Warriors of Wildlife, the big cats born in Ukraine were safely transported to South Africa. In total, the non-profit organization has rescued 28 big cats and other animals from precarious conditions in Ukraine.

(Bonn) In the past, DHL Global Forwarding has also assisted in the relocation of several brown bears and pandas, as well as the recent transport of Kaavan, “the world’s loneliest elephant.”

“To make the journey as pleasant as possible for our special guests, it primarily relies on expert knowledge and a well-coordinated team. Our ‘Lions and Falcons of DHL,’ as I like to call my team from the Middle East and Africa, safely brought the animals to their new home. At the Warriors of Wildlife reserve, they are finally back where they belong – two of them even have South African parents. The lions Hercules, Cher, Khaya, Ilana, and the lion named Arslan by our Turkish air freight team, along with the tigress Kisa, traveled with us for a total of 72 hours. It was not an easy task, but one that we gladly fulfilled with great passion,” reports Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa.

The big cats came from a private zoo in Chernivtsi and a zoo in Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine. DHL transported them from there to a rescue station personally managed by the head of the animal welfare organization, Lionel de Lange. The Simbonga Game Farm & Sanctuary is located near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in the South African province of Eastern Cape. Throughout the journey, the animals were cared for and monitored by veterinarians. In Ukraine, the DHL team was supported by a local veterinarian until departure. Together with the head of Warriors for Wildlife and another veterinarian, the cats boarded a cargo plane at Kyiv Boryspil International Airport. Upon arrival at O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg and after a brief medical check, the tigers and lions then took the final leg of their journey to the Simbonga Game Farm & Sanctuary by truck. Here, the big cats were able to acclimatize for a few hours before feeling grass under their paws for the first time in their lives.

Transporting Big Cats Always a Major Challenge

“Transporting big cats always presents a major challenge and requires the trustful collaboration of all parties involved. With an experienced logistics partner like DHL, we were able to coordinate the complex endeavor smoothly and bring the animals home safely. The lions and the tigress now live in a species-appropriate environment and are being properly cared for,” explains Lionel de Lange, head of Warriors of Wildlife and the Simbonga Game Farm & Sanctuary.

Warriors of Wildlife is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, relocation, and further care of abused and neglected wild animals in captivity. The organization was founded in 2016 by Lionel de Lange and his wife Anya Masyach and operates from Ukraine and South Africa.

Photo: © Mike Dexter