DHL Air (UK) (East Midlands) is the official air transport of the Aspinall Foundation’s “Back to the Wild” campaign to transport a western lowland gorilla family from the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park to Africa. The cargo airline has decorated this Boeing 767-300 freighter with these special markings for the special transport.
The Foundation issued this statement:
The family is headed by Djala, a 30 year old silverback (below).
As a baby Djala was rescued from Africa and flown to the safety of Port Lympne where he has become one of the largest silverbacks in captivity, weighing 200kgs and fathering a total of 15 offspring.
The family’s journey is part of The Aspinall Foundation’s Back To The Wild Campaign in conjunction with Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, and has been made possible by generous gifts from supporters of the charity, our partner DHL and the Gabonese Government.
But we still need your help to continue sending animals like Djala and his family ‘Back To The Wild’.
For more information: CLICK HERE
Phil Couchman, CEO of DHL Air, issued this statement:
Last year we undertook a very special request to transport three critically endangered black rhino from The Aspinall Foundation’s Port Lympne Wild Animal Park to a protected reserve in Tanzania. Not something we do normally but, hey, this is DHL. So we did it.
Very soon we’ll be providing another essential service to protect a threatened cohabitant of our planet: moving a family of critically endangered western lowland gorillas from The Aspinall Foundation’s Port Lympne Wild Animal Park to Africa as part of the ongoing and ambitious conservation initiative, created by The Aspinall Foundation – Back To The Wild.
This move is extra special as the “big daddy” was orphaned in Africa 30 years ago and is finally going home – with his family.
Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil/AirlinersGallery.com. DHL Air’s Boeing 767-3JHF ER G-DHLH (msn 37806) arrives at Brussels with the special “Djala’s Journey Home-Gorillas in Transit-Aspinall Foundation” markings. The aircraft arrived from Cincinnatti and departed for Lagos, Nigeria.
DHL Air (UK): 
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