President of the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ZSTT), Gupte Lutchmedial, provided Newsday with an update on the animals’ travel plans yesterday afternoon.
“The giraffes arrived in Miami around 3.30 pm today (Tuesday), after travelling by road from a zoo in Texas. They are scheduled to board a flight at Miami International Airport at 3.30 am tomorrow and arrive at Piarco International Airport at 7.30 am. They will then be transported to the zoo in a slow-moving convoy, with an expected arrival time in town at 9.30 am on Wednesday,” Lutchmedial stated.
Earlier this year, in June, the zoo unsuccessfully attempted to import a giraffe, nicknamed Melman, from the same Texas zoo. However after missing his original flight, Melman grew too big to fit in the cargo hold of the plane.
Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Juliana Johan-Boodram, are expected to be in attendance when these two new giraffes arrive at the zoo today.
Source: NewsDay (TT)
