The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, on the Isle of Wight, is overjoyed to announce that Cargolux, Europe’s leading all-cargo airline, has agreed to sponsor transport flights for Benji and Balu, two European Brown Bears, the Sanctuary are rescuing all the way from Azerbaijan to the UK.

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One of the most significant components of this mission is the transport of the bears from Azerbaijan to the Isle of Wight. The focus was on securing the most humane means of transport, ensuring the amount of time the bears would have to spend in transit was kept to an absolute minimum. Transporting Benji and Balu by road, rail or sea from Azerbaijan would have meant an arduous journey for the bears, so the best solution to minimise the time in transit was to secure a flight directly to the United Kingdom.

For a time, this was looking like an impossible ask, the costs were prohibitive, and the options limited. That was until Cargolux, who are no strangers to moving live animals came to the Sanctuary’s aid. They offered not only to sponsor through a free of charge flight for Benji and Balu to the UK but also offered to fly the purpose-built crates needed for their safe transport, from Europe to Azerbaijan ahead of the relocation flight. This is understood to be the first mission of this nature out of Azerbaijan and as such there are no adapted crates available in the country. The flight from Azerbaijan will cover almost 3,000 miles with a flight time of just 5 to 6 hours and will bring the bears directly into an airport in the United Kingdom.

Lawrence Bates, CEO of the Wildheart Sanctuary had this to say, “There is no doubt that without Cargolux, this project may never have come to fruition. This was one of the biggest single expenses in the whole operation and we cannot express our gratitude enough to Cargolux for stepping in and helping us to overcome this final hurdle. Cargolux are well versed in providing cargo transport to wild animals, perhaps most famously when they transported two beluga whales from China to the first open water beluga whale sanctuary in Iceland. Their level of professionalism and their commitment to supporting wildlife preservation and animal welfare aligns completely with our values. We will be forever grateful.”

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Richard Forson, President and CEO of Cargolux had this to say, “At Cargolux, we are committed to playing our part in raising awareness and promoting animal welfare and conservation. Partnerships such as this one are of prime importance for the airline and reflect its long-standing engagement to taking action and making a positive impact. Our team’s expertise in transporting live animals uniquely positions us to support the relocation of Benji and Balu and we look forward to seeing them flourish in their new home.”

The significant logistical challenges of moving these bears across continents are being carefully managed by a team of experts. Specialist crates are being built to ensure that Benji and Balu are safe and comfortable during transit, and a team of vets will accompany the bears from their current location to the airport, meeting them on the other side to ensure that they are then safely handed over to the overland transport. The bears will then travel through the UK and across the Solent to the Isle of Wight, with their much-anticipated arrival expected sometime in June this year, subject to all the relevant paperwork being delivered.

The new habitat for the bears on the Isle of Wight will be a massive departure from the life these two brothers have endured previously, with only concrete beneath their feet, no water to wallow in, no place to hibernate, and living off scraps from the restaurant where they were held captive for human ‘entertainment’. Benji and Balu will get to enjoy a 3,500sqm enclosure built specifically for them, with grass, trees, ponds and places to hibernate, a varied diet with expert care from our team of animal carers to help them with their rehabilitation. This all made possible through an incredible fundraising effort with massive support of the local community and beyond.

After years of abuse, Benji and Balu will finally get a life they deserve.