Eight giraffes were transported to Kazan from Namibia

Last night, eight giraffes from Namibia were delivered to Kazan by IL-76 cargo plane. A group of three males and five females has been formed with the prospect of further breeding. Kazan Zoo is accepts giraffes for the first time in Russian history. 

The specialist accompanied giraffes during the transportation on an IL-76 cargo flight. Throughout the flight, the team strictly monitored the conditions of their transportation. On September 17, Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin met the night board with new residents at the airport. Presently, the animals are under observation at the Zoo. 

The delivery became possible due to the tourism strategy of Kazan and the renovation of the Kazan Zoo, created on the initiative of the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov with the support of Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin. Alexander Shavliashvili, Chairman of the Tourism Development Committee, became the initiator and operational supervisor of the project. He traveled to Namibia to coordinate the process. 

“The delivery of giraffes from Namibia to Kazan is an ambitious international project. We managed to combine the efforts of the Namibian partners, Russian agencies, and the Zoo. This is a great victory not only for the city, but also for the country. For the first time in 19 years, giraffes were delivered to Russia by air. It was a long and safe journey for the animals. For the city's tourism strategy, it means a continuation of Kazan's development as a travel destination and an increase in the average length of stay of tourists,”- said Alexander Shavliashvili. 

Giraffes were transported by Volga-Dnepr cargo airline on a charter flight Kazan-Namibia. Eight giraffes safely transferred the long way. During the trip, they were comfortably accommodated in accordance with international requirements for the transportation of animals. The ground services of Kazan International Airport ensured safe loading. 

To date, eight Russian zoos feature giraffes. Kazan Zoo became the ninth zoo, featuring the Angolan subspecies of giraffe. In Soviet times, the zoo already housed a reticulated giraffe named Limba, brought from the Riga Zoo.