Air Charter Service was called into action by non-profit conservation organisation African Parks to help relocate 16 Southern White Rhino from South Africa to Garamba National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The last Northern White Rhino was poached in the DRC in 2006 but Garamba is now a safe location and the project aims to restore the ecological balance of one of Africa’s oldest national parks.
ACS decided that a Hercules L-100 would be the best beast for the job, largely because of its ability to land on short, dirt runways and its rear-loading capability also came in handy as Barrick’s Kibali M Even with the mighty Herc, two flights were needed, as each rhino weighs a couple of tons or more. However, through careful planning, ACS was able to perform both flights in the same week, with both being loaded at night and both arriving at first light in Kibali.
