In collaboration with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen welcomed three koalas into their dedicated custom habitat called “Koalia”, marking a special occasion because apart from being the only koalas in the Netherlands, they are the first to set foot on Dutch soil .
Koalas are housed in zoos around the world within management programmes
Which contribute to the genetic well-being of the population and the protection of the species. Koalas are listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, and Australia has classified the species as “endangered” after a rapid decline in their numbers in recent years.
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On April 4, an animal caretaker from the O’Hands Zoo left for the San Diego Zoo in California to pick up a koala. After several days of training with the caregivers, she returned today with the three koalas who will be making their new home at Owehands Zoo.
The KLM plane from Los Angeles landed this morning at 08:45 with these items
Special passengers.
KLM Cargo previously transported giant pandas from China to the Netherlands bound for the Ouwehands Zoo in 2017. Other unique species were displayed exclusively at this zoo.
Air France KLM Martinair Cargo specializes in responsible and animal-friendly transportation
of various types and employs specialized staff who have the necessary knowledge and skills for this
Accompany the animals on their journey.
KLM is one of the very few airlines that has its own hotel for animals in Schiphol. It is fully equipped to care for the animals before, during and after the trip. In an isolated environment, specially trained animal handlers ensure that the animals move about as comfortably and safely as possible.
Upon arrival, the animals are unloaded from the aircraft’s cargo hold and transported to the KLM Animal Hotel, where they are cleared through customs and subjected to a health inspection.
The final leg of the trip saw them travel from Amsterdam to Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen.
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The animals will take some time to recover from their trip and get used to their new surroundings. “Qualia” will open on April 25, after which visitors to O’Hands Zoo will be able to observe koalas.
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