International Animal Shipping

One of the Most Daunting Zoo Experiences There Is

A. L. Drost

Curatorial Assistant

Toronto Zoo , Canada

adrost@torontozoo.ca

International animal shipping is not for the light of heart. Crossing international borders with live animals has to occur quickly to ensure the least amount of stress on the animal and efficiently so all goes smoothly with everyone involved. In order to ensure a fast and efficient shipment one must be knowledgeable in the required documentation for both importing and exporting countries, crates, transportation and the species of the animal involved. Required documentation can be as involved as applying for a CITES I Import or Export Permit which can take upwards of 12 months to be issued, or as simple as a provincial or state movement certificate which is issued to you over the phone in a matter of minutes. Crates have to be IATA (International Air Transport Association) compliant as inspecting border officials hold the right to refuse entry of the animal and send it back to the consignor if the crate does not meet international live animal shipment standards. One must know their transporters, whether by air or by land, and know what their limitations and/or restrictions are. Knowledge of your species is of the greatest of importance as that knowledge will influence every decision made before and during the actual shipment. It’s been the experience of this animal shipper that the shipments with the least amounts of problems or surprises are the shipments where all parties are kept involved and well informed. This can sometimes mean being in close contact with as many bodies as the federal wildlife officers, federal agricultural officers, the transporters, customs, brokers and zoo personal. Forwarding all documentation to all involved allows one to troubleshoot for any possible trouble.