Transportation of animals

For the transportation of livestock, see Livestock transportation.

An elephant being transported by air in a custom-built crate.

Animal transportation is the movement of animals by transport. Common categories of animals which are transported include livestock destined for sale or slaughter; zoological specimens; laboratory animals; race horses; pets; and wild animals being rescued or relocated. Methods of transporting animals vary greatly from species to species.

The transport of animals is regulated in many countries. In the UK, a Transport of Animals Act was passed in 1906, and now such transport is regulated by directives of the European Union.

The Animal Transportation Association was formed in 1976 by interested parties to develop best practises and provide information to those involved in the shipment of animals.

Livestock

Horses are a commonly transported kind of livestock.

Main article: Livestock transportation

Livestock destined for sale or slaughter, race horses, and pets are frequently transported. It is important to avoid injury and death of the animal.

Research animals

The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the United States National Research Council has produced guidelines for the transportation of research animals.

Zoo animals

Wild animals are often transported for display in zoos. Some wild animals offer specific challenges.

Giraffes

An illustration of giraffes being transported, 1874

Giraffes are typically transported in custom-built containers or crates to account for their height.

In 2013, Nakuru, a 15-month-old female giraffe, was transported from New Zealand to Melbourne in Australia. Her specialised 4.2 metre crate was transported by sea on a cargo ship. As is required by Australian law, Nakaru was quarantined for 30 days at the Werribee Open Range Zoo before being moved again by truck to Melbourne Zoo approximately 30 kilometres away.

Earlier in 2013, Tonda, a 4.3 metre, three-year-old adult male, was moved from Paignton Zoo to Chessington Zoo, both in England. The 322 kilometre move was completed by a Dutch company that specialises in animal transportation using a specially built trailer with an adjustable roof.

Tapirs

Tapirs are odd-toed ungulates, related to the horse and rhinoceros, but are very large animals – the Malayan tapir can grow up to 8 feet long, for example. They are regulated as pachyderms by the United States Department of Agriculture for transportation and import purposes.

Aquarium animals

There are two techniques for moving large marine mammals - wet transit, in which the animal is kept in a large tank of water, and dry transit, in which the animal is placed in a padded sling and kept calm, wet and cool by human assistance. The decision whether to use wet or dry transit will depend on the size of the animal being transported and the distance they need to travel.

Killer Whales

The killer whale Keiko being transported on a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

The transportation of killer whales or orca was a key feature of the popular film Free Willy. Keiko, who played the role of Willy in the film, was moved using a trailer - although when he was actually transported to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, he was airlifted by the United Parcel Service. When he was transported to the to the Westman Islands in Iceland in 1998, he was loaded onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport.

Seals

Transporting seals is considered to be easier than transporting cetaceans, since seals are semiaquatic and able to tolerate long periods out of water, as long as they are kept cool and moist. In fact, the transportation of seals in water-filled containers is dangerous, and can cause drowning of the animal.

History

Two famous historical examples of animal transportation are Hanno the elephant and Dürer's Rhinoceros.

See also

• Animal transporter

Further reading

• Excellence in Animal Transportation, Animal Transportation Association, 1999
• Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN 9780813806488