Um, Qantas Flew A 1.7 Tonne Rhino From Auckland To Sydney, No Big Deal
In totally regular and not at all remarkable news, Qantas flew a 1.7 tonne African White Rhinoceros – his name is Mtoto – from Auckland to Sydney a few weeks ago. Yes, mmhmm, just a normal day at the office, I suppose.
Animals being moved overseas is one of those things in life that we accept happens, but we rarely give it deeper thought, like microwaves heating our food and the fact the internet exists. Indeed, of the millions of passengers Qantas cart around the globe, the vast majority of them are human – but sometimes animals need relocation too, with Qantas moving around 1000 per week. Most commonly, it’s pets – dogs and cats – but Qantas has carried snakes, spiders, pigs, koalas and even actual kangaroos (not just the outlines of them on the tail of the plane) before.
As one of the heaviest Qantas passengers of all time, 12-year-old Mtoto was a pretty unusual traveller as he jumped the ditch to move from Auckland Zoo to his new home at Altina Wildlife Park. He flew in a special aluminium crate onboard a Qantas Freight Boeing 767 and was accompanied by Auckland Zoo keeper David Crimp. While Mtoto didn’t need a passport (thanks goodness, he probably can’t fit through the post office door), he was kept in mandatory quarantine in Sydney until his papers were processed before being driven the rest of the way to his new home in Altina.
Here, he’ll live a happy life alongside other exotic animals. White Rhinos are a threatened species in Africa, and organisations like Altina play a role in protecting them.
The whole process was a smooth one and Mtoto is now happily settling into his new digs. He has no other upcoming travel plans.
Watch the delightful video of his journey here:
[media_embed]https://youtu.be/PdWkh67CuuY[/media_embed]For more behind the scenes looks at Qantas, head to Roo Tales.
