Giant crocs find home in mall

London, UK—Two giant saltwater crocodiles moved from Australia to Dubai with some help from specialty freight handlers. The WACO System members Mainfreight Australia and Freightworks recently teamed up to transport the two beasts from Queensland, Australia, to Dubai in the UAE.

Ten animal handlers took six hours to capture 40-year-old saltwater crocodile King Croc, and his mate of 20 years Queen Croc, and load them into crates designed for them by Mainfreight.

“Our team specializes in the handling and transportation of live animals internationally,” said Greg Giarratana, national airfreight development manager, Mainfreight International Pty Ltd.

“We built crates for them specifically designed to ensure the temperature was controlled and the animals could be accessed and viewed from multiple points.”

King Croc is one of the biggest saltwater crocodiles in the world, measuring five metres long and weighing 750kg, with Queen Croc measuring 3.2 metres long and weighing 186kg. King Croc is expected to grow even bigger over the next decade.

Once safely in their crates, the crocs boarded a plane to Sharjah Airport in the UAE on their way to their new home at the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo at the Dubai Mall.

The Freightworks team met them in the UAE and ensured smooth Customs clearance, vet inspection, and onward transportation in temperature-controlled trucks to the Dubai Mall.

“The crocodiles were handed over to Dubai Aquarium and Mall on time and in perfect condition,” said Mark Simon, director of commercial operations, Freightworks.

“The success of this job was driven by the teamwork between Mainfreight and Freightworks and the passion of the individuals involved to ensure that this unique project went to plan from start to finish.”

Mainfreight has been The WACO System’s Australian member since 2001, and Freightworks has represented the network in the UAE since 2004. The WACO System is an independent global freight management and logistics organisation with members in over 92 countries and a combined network of more than 400 locations.