Air Charter Service (ACS) recently arranged the transport of an eight-month-old greater kudu named Linus from a zoo to a conservation area in Chile.
The charter specialist coordinated a complex journey involving two aircraft and an overnight stopover to move the young antelope safely to his new habitat.
Richard Thompson, President of ACS Americas, said: “The zoo is a non-profit organisation, and so, in the past, had always used commercial services for any animal transport, but Linus’s crate was too tall for this, so they contacted ACS for a solution.”
To accommodate Linus’s size and ensure his comfort, ACS arranged for a Boeing 767 flight from Memphis to Miami, followed by a Boeing 747 flight from Miami to Santiago.
“We had to have careful consideration of Linus’s comfort and wellbeing and it was decided that two different aircraft, with a stopover in Miami, would be the best option,” Thompson explained.
The journey began with Linus being transported by road to Memphis Airport, accompanied by a veterinarian and zoo staff.
In Miami, an ACS team member coordinated Linus’s overnight stay at a USDA-approved facility to comply with quarantine regulations before his final flight to Chile.
Thompson noted: “Linus arrived at the conservation area, his new home, happy and comfortable and is now thriving there.”
The greater kudu is a large woodland antelope native to eastern and southern Africa. Adult males are known for their distinctive spiral antlers, which can grow up to 1.8 metres long.
While Linus’s antlers are not yet fully grown, his relocation to a larger conservation area will provide ample space as he matures.
