Even with some 40 year’s experience in shipping zoo animals and pets, it nevertheless was a challenge for the Frankfurt, Germany based animal transporter.
First off, the Bali Starling is an ultra-endangered species. Extinction threatens. These 10 pairs of birds represent 10% of the entire Bali Starling free-environment, world population.
“Having the responsibility for such a rare group of animals is enormous,” says GK Air’s managing director Kay Wissenbach. “It is more than breath-taking. It could even provoke a coronary should anything miscarry,” he exclaims. Of course, nothing of the sort did.
First discovered in 1910, the Bali Starling, also known as the Bali Mynah, is 25 cms or 10inches long. The bird’s facial coloring is blue. But its body plumage is brilliant snow white. The very tips of its tail feathers are black and its head is crowned with a ring of white. Originally found in a narrow limited region on the island of Bali, it could only be bred through very intensive care outside of its native land. Its many natural enemies in the wild had all but destroyed the species of the truly rare bird.
Efforts are now being made to re-patriate the avian in its ancestral native land. The Cologne Zoo is largely responsible for creating this rescue mission preserving the species and returning it back to Bali.
Good planning and a meticulously-organized transport von Cologne to Frankfurt by surface transportation and then per Qatar Air to Singapadu, Batubulan-Gianyar on Bali was executed by GK Air. On arrival, the rare birds were then transferred to the Begawan Foundation in their ancient-yet-new homeland where they are now the iconic symbols of the establishment.
Qatar Air was well-aware of its precious, extremely rare cargo. Its administers gave especial attention to the task assuring that the special transport cages were safe and secure in the temperature controlled cargo hold in the aircraft. This was anything but a normal routine shipment even for this experienced, global carrier, although GK Air routinely encounters similar challenges ever since its founding more than 40 years ago.
Both G.K. Airfreight Service and Qatar were particularly gratified executing this particular transport. It was a good feeling to know that one had contributed substantially to the preservation of a gravely endangered species.
Learn more about Bali Starlings and much more by visiting: www.begawanfoundation.org
