Britain | Snakes (and tortoises, rhinos and gibbons) on a plane

How to transport a rhino

Heathrow Airport deals with millions of humans a year—but billions of animals

An animal Handler at Heathrow animal reception centre holds a turtle.
A slow queue at immigrationPhotograph: City of London Corporation
|Heathrow

Transporting tortoises is tricky. You need the right crate (they like space to stretch their necks), with the right ventilation (ample), and the right base (emphatically non-slip). However, as the International Air Transport Association’s animal handbook makes clear, transporting tortoises is far easier than transporting camels (they bite), zebras (they panic) or rhinos (it’s essential to bolt the box). But above all, as the guide explains, the most important thing is that “This Way Up” labels are affixed to each and every crate. Because no one wants an inverted tortoise, let alone an upside-down elephant.

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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Snakes (and rhinos) on a plane”

From the January 27th 2024 edition

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