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Rhinos head off to Tanzania

Loading three black rhinos from Port Lympne onto a plane for Tanzania at Manston Airport.
Loading three black rhinos from Port Lympne onto a plane for Tanzania at Manston Airport.

Loading three black rhinos from Port Lympne onto a plane for Tanzania at Manston Airport. Pictures: The Aspinall Foundation

And they're off.

Three critically-endangered black rhinos have been flown to their native country of Tanzania.

It comes just days after Prince William visited Port Lympne wild animal park near Folkestone to see the work of The Aspinall Foundation there.

Loading three black rhinos from Port Lympne onto a plane for Tanzania at Manston Airport.
Loading three black rhinos from Port Lympne onto a plane for Tanzania at Manston Airport.

A bit of a tight squeeze!

Now the rhinos have been successfully flown from Manston Airport to the Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania.

They will reinforce the population of eastern black rhinoceros in the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary, Tanzania.

Rhinos being flown from Port Lympne to Tanzania from Manston.
Rhinos being flown from Port Lympne to Tanzania from Manston.

The very special cargo consisted of one male rhino, Monduli, and two females, Grumeti and Zawadi, which are now living in the wild for the first time.

Black rhino numbers have been significantly reduced due to large-scale poaching.

The rhinos were transported in a specially modified Boeing 757.

The aircraft also had enhanced safety features - lifesaving devices and temperature control.

There was also space on board for two aircraft engineers, two of the rhino keepers from Port Lympne and a specialist vet.

On-board catering included four bales of Lucerne hay, half a bucket of carrots, half a bucket of apples, a box of bananas, celery and spinach and three drums of water.

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