After Lions, Beluga Whales and Pandas: Four White Rhinos Cross Atlantic to Reach Mexico on Special Flight

Four white rhinoceroses have arrived at Guadalajara Zoo in Mexico after crossing the Atlantic aboard an Air France Cargo flight from Paris. The transfer, carried out on October 20, was organized with specialist animal freight company INTRADCO Global and teams from four animal parks in France, Germany and Mexico.

Salma, Moana, Lewa and Wami Traveled from Paris to Guadalajara

The animals, named Salma, Moana, Lewa and Wami, traveled on flight AF6720 from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Guadalajara. The group includes three females and one male, aged between four and 15. Salma and Moana came from Serengeti Park Hodenhagen in Germany, Lewa from Safari de Peaugres in France, and Wami from the Paris Zoological Park.

The operation required more than a year of preparation. Care teams spent months helping the rhinos become familiar with their transport crates so they could enter them calmly before departure. Air France Cargo, INTRADCO Global and the participating zoos coordinated veterinary documentation, container preparation, loading and the arrangements needed to transport the animals safely.

After landing in Mexico on October 21, the four rhinos were transferred by road to the zoo and placed in quarantine for veterinary checks and an adjustment period. They will not be available to visitors immediately; the zoo will announce when they are ready to be introduced to the public.

The move is part of an international conservation and breeding program coordinated through the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Such transfers help manage white rhinoceros populations across participating institutions and support genetic diversity.

Not the Only Ones

At the end of September, a six-year-old panda called Ping Ping and his five-year-old companion Fu Shuang made their way from Chengdu, China, to the United States on a similarly special FedEx cargo flight.

Two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta on a special FedEx flight. Photo: FedEx

• In August, Qatar Airways Cargo revealed the operation behind a similarly interesting wildlife transportation mission that successfully relocated six beluga whales across international borders.
  Beluga whales. Photo: Shutterstock

  Earlier this year, Air France Cargo also organized the transport of Layish, a five-year-old rescued lion, from Paris to South Africa. The wild animal was released into the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary.

  Photo: Shutterstock