Dolphin Transport By An-124
Use of the An-124-100 for livestock transportation is limited due to the partial pressurisation of the cargo hold to 2.25 bar rather than the higher figure normally found in converted passenger planes. To maintain the necessary air pressure for livestock and their attendants the flight altitude must be limited which affects the operating economics.
The circumstances to justify such an operation must therefore be very specific with the aircraft offering particular advantages.
This was exactly the situation identified by Procargo who saw the advantages of using the An-124 for transporting 11 live dolphins together with 12 accompanying trainers and veterinarians on the relatively short 3 hour sector from Taiji in Japan via Osaka Airport to Hualien in Taiwan for the Hualien Ocean Park on 12th October, 2002.
The movement of the AN124-100 was preplanned in great detail several weeks in advance and departed from Osaka on schedule with cargo cabin pressure and temperature carefully maintained as the attendants closely monitored the condition of the unusual cargo.
All went well and the dolphins were safely transferred to road transport in Hualien and were soon cavorting in their new home.
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Images courtesy of www.procargo.fi
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Comments on Dolphin Transport By An-124
Dolphins should be left in the ocean!
I wonder what did this poor creatures did that deserves a sentence of LIFE IN PRISON…
this article is particularly disturbing. The dolphins coming from Taiji are undoubtedly from the Blood Cove. These are juveniles that have watched their entire families slaughtered. Now they are on their way to become lifelong servants of man in a cement tank which is virtually like putting a human in a room without windows. Shame on you Japan, and shame on the world for continuing to finance the blood cove. DOLPHINS DO NOT BELONG IN CAPTIVITY.
Absolutely shocking.
How do you sleep?
These dolphins are not cavorting in their new home. They are prisoners, plain and simple.
Transporting them in what looks like coffins.
Shame on you and your horrible plane.
Shame on Japan. It breaks my heart so see these beautiful, intelligent dolphins be in captivity their whole lives after seeing their families being slaughtered. His needs to stop!
This is not right, so many dolphins getting slaughter blood money.
Dolphins belong in the wild. These dolphins were taken from their families which were killed just so they can entertain people in tiny tanks. HORRIBLE!
@Kirsten Massebeau: Truly!! This brings SHAME to the country of Japan and its people!! These dolphins have been subjected to the mass slaughter of their entire families and then relegated to a 'life' of slavery for the 'amusement of the masses'. Enjoy these creatures in the wild, where they belong, where they can LIVE. Yes, Shame on you Japan and the world for continuing to fund this bloody tragedy.