Equine and animal transport specialists Intradco Global recently managed the transportation of 1,200 breeding pigs from Denmark to the Philippines.
To carry out the operation, a Boeing 747-400 freighter was chartered, and to ensure the welfare of the pigs, a range of specialist solutions was deployed to ensure they travelled safely, hygienically, and with a minimum of distress.
Luca Mario Leisi, account manager – Live Animal at Intradco Global, explained: “Bespoke solutions were used for this large-scale shipment. We created custom-built wooden transport crates to house the pigs, and these were equipped with extra-large watering systems to ensure comfort and welfare throughout the flight.”
Special care was taken when getting the animals into these crates, including the use of Intradco’s purpose-built “pig lift”.
This custom-converted van enables pigs to comfortably transfer from lorries into their crates without having to walk up steep ramps, a potentially dangerous and stressful activity for the animals.
“The crates were loaded smoothly and carefully onto the aircraft to ensure minimal stress for the animals," Leisi added. “Then, once onboard, their welfare was supervised by one of our specialists and a representative from the client, ensuring all coordination between the handlers and crew was seamless.”
“We have been closely collaborating with multiple stakeholders for around three months in order to carry out this delivery,” explained Leisi. “There was a lot of pre-flight preparation required, including quarantining the animals in a dedicated facility and placing them on a special diet.”
One complication that the team successfully navigated was a last-minute change of departure airport.
“We were able to reconfigure the arrangements quickly and still meet the client’s requirements. Overall, during this live animal air transport project our team used its world-leading expertise, together with thorough processes and robust risk management.”
On arrival in the Philippines, the pigs were sent on to the end-client’s farm in the Philippines.
