You’re having a giraffe!
Melbourne Zoo called in Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire to transport Tanzi, the 10 year old giraffe.
Australian company Membrey Transport and Crane Hire has played a major role in the successful relocation of a rare Rothschild giraffe from the Melbourne Zoo in Victoria to the Mogo Zoo on the southern coast of New South Wales, 800km away. For the job, they utilised a Terex AT-20 Pick and Carry crane.
Due to the delicate nature of the cargo, Melbourne Zoo called in Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire to transport Tanzi, the 10 year old, 4.8m tall Rothschild giraffe. The move, as part of the regional breeding program, would also see Tanzi reunited with her sister Shani.
“We have moved a variety of large and small exotic zoo animals for around 30 years,” said Craig Membrey of Membrey’s Transport. “For this move, we were required to lift and transport the animal in a specially made giraffe crate and selected our Terex AT-20 Pick and Carry crane as the best equipment for this task.”
To minimise stress during the move, the Melbourne Zoo conducted more than two months of crate training to ensure Tanzi was relaxed and comfortable enough to travel in the crate. As well as the potential for emotional strain, transporting such a tall and heavy animal also presented a number of logistical challenges.
“Moving animals of this size requires detailed route planning, such as avoiding low bridges, while also ensuring minimum impact on the animal by completing the move in the shortest possible time,” Craig said. “The Terex AT-20 Pick and Carry crane was ideal for this application. It’s smooth controls gave the crane operator the ability to position the crate with gentle, fluid movements throughout the operation. These highly versatile road cranes can be dispatched quickly to wherever they are needed via any road, and have the maneuverability, power and versatility to lift almost anything, anywhere.”