Preparation of Giraffes for Transport. By ATA Zoological Committee Some photos courtesy of the Zoological Society of San Diego

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2 Preparation of Giraffes for Transport By ATA Zoological Committee Some photos courtesy of the Zoological Society of San Diego

3 Any portion of a live animal shipment (all animals) should be done in respect to the Five Freedoms of Animals Five Freedoms Freedom from fear Freedom from thirst and hunger Freedom to and/or from discomfort Freedom to display a most normal pattern of behavior Freedom from pain, injury and disease

4 Giraffes should be well prepared before a shipment. Health protocols must be met, any animal scheduled to be shipped should be prepared accordingly, or conditioned. The most important part of these shipments is the planning. These shipments require an extensive amount of preparation that is best not to be left to the last minute. In most cases, the process has to start at least one month before the shipment date.

5 First step Find a carrier that operates a suitable aircraft and ideally with exotic animal transport experience.

6 NORMALLY IMPORT CONDITIONS FALL UNDER MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE Verify the health requirements for the importing country

7 Selection of Animals Giraffes are normally selected based on the age, sex, and size. When transporting giraffes by air the height of the animals is very important. Giraffes that are 2.3 meter tall should not be transported and Giraffes over 3 meters should also be removed from the selection

8 Crate construction and size A crate should be constructed with metal and wood and must comply with IATA regulations. 20% Ventilation per side. Separate food and water troughs with access doors.

9 Forklift spacers must be put on the bottom of the crate Crate Construction Hooks hung on the sides and top of the crates so a crane can be chained to it and lift it.

10 Slip proof floor or slatted floor with urine tray Slip-proof floors must be included in the container, and the container must be leak proof. Identify proper bedding material (no straw as some countries do not permit entry.

11 Crate training At the time of conditioning, the crates must be already built and verified to meet IATA standards. They should be placed in the enclosure as early as possible. Use positive reinforcement to familiarize the animal with the crate. The animals should also be trained to eat and drink from containers that are attached to the interior of the crates. The water containers should be at placed cm from the top of the crate.

12 Quarantine A proper quarantine must comply with the standards of the exporting and importing countries. Some countries require a quarantine of 10 days, 20 days, 30 days and 45 days. There have been some countries that have asked for 3-6 month quarantine. Animals that are freshly captured should not be transported and it is recommended that animals be in boma for at least 30 (but preferably 60) days prior to transport. This will ensure that the animals have calmed down and adapted to captive diets.

13 Testing During the quarantine, in many cases blood will be drawn, and treatments for parasites will be done. These are to be completed only by a qualified veterinarian. A groom or a keeper cannot perform these tests. If animals fail the testing, they cannot be used for export and different arrangements must be made.

14 Paperwork/ permit application Giraffes are non CITES animals, but they do require a certificate of origin in order to be shipped out. The importing country must also apply for The importing country must also apply for their import permits for their country; this may require a wildlife permit and veterinary permit.

15 Transit countries Some countries in which you will transit, have their own requirements and those requirements must be fulfilled. Several places also require a transit permit and this must be applied before the transport begins. In the transit country, the groom must have access to the animals at all times and must make provision that food and water is available for the animals and no bystanders disturb them.

16 The procedure of loading Skilled transport specialist, animal keeping staff, familiar with the individual behavior of the animal and veterinarian must be present during the whole procedure. Preliminary discussion is needed in order to make clear the role each personnel has. Responsibility must be assumed by the leader of the loading procedure, appointed with common consent. At least one personnel should be present solely for the supervision of the action with respect to the safety measurements. The loading has to be executed and led with exact, definite actions.

17 Visual barriers have to be adjusted with solid walls on both side of the ramp of the trailer. The corridor installed for the giraffe to approach the trailer should be appropriate for an ultimately safe herding or baiting of the animal onto the trailer. Once the animal has entered the trailer, a staff member, operating from secured position, should close first the swing door of the trailer, then the one of the ramp. All measures must to be taken in the interest of the animal, so to avoid excessive stress, unnecessary noises, and the presence of needless personnel during the entire loading procedure.

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21 Road transport At Airport Loading at quarantine

22 Verifying all documents before shipment / transit permits Export permit or certificate of origin Heath certificate Results of test Invoice Transit permit Airwaybill Certificate of insurance Feeding instructions Drug instructions Letter for drugs Copy of import permit and permit requirements Customs clearance Passport of groom, hotel reservation, air tickets Emergency numbers Emergency veterinarian numbers in export country, transit country and import country Tarmac permits visible jacket

23 Proper Labeling of Crates to Include: IATA Sticker Live Animal Stickers This Way Up Stickers Feed Instructions must be labeled on crate Copy of all documents Name/Address and phone number and 24 hour contact. Quantity of Animals in crate

24 Loading of animals on pallets The pallet should be prepared before loading of the animals. On the pallet, acid vac (absorbent material) should be put on the top. Then the crate should be placed on plastic sheeting the whole length and width of the crate. Pallet and more acid vac, 2 x 4 s should be put on the 2 sides of the pallet and crate must be deposited on them.

25 Bring enough food, water and any tools necessary for flight, layovers and acclimation

26 Loading animals in aircraft Verify the length of time on the tarmac before loading the animals on the aircraft. The crate is taken to the aircraft on a dolly and is then put on a mechanical lift to be loaded in the aircraft. The attendant must stay with the crate at all times during these procedures.

27 Attendant must be in aircraft during loading. Attach the thermometer to the crate. Ensure crate access during flight. Loading

28 Groom duties The groom must ensure that all the plans have been made, transport, have permits and documents on hand, emergency contact numbers with him. He is responsible for the animals during transport. It is his duty to make sure that food and water are provided and that non-authorized people do not interfere with the process or spook the animals. Upon arrival, he is responsible to give the documents to the person in charge at destination; he must have two sets copies for himself and originals for import. He is responsible for the loading of the truck and should be with the animals at all times.

29 Unloading of animals Once you are sure everything is in order you must ensure the crane or forklift has strapped the crate properly and lifted it in the enclosure safely. Sliding doors work best for this, because the grooms will be one on one side the other on the other side, will open the doors and try to coax the animals out in the enclosure. Once animals are out, the enclosure door must be closed and the crate immediately removed. The groom and new keeper should remain there to ensure that the animals look okay and then leave them alone to familiarize themselves.

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