A Victorian transport group can tick ‘giraffe’ off their list of weird things to haul interstate, after the successful relocation of a rare Rothschild giraffe.

The long-necked load travelled 800 kilometres from the Melbourne Zoo to the Mogo Zoo on the southern coast of New South Wales. Tanzi, a 10-year-old, 4.8 metre tall Rothschild giraffe was moved as part of a regional breeding program, which has also see Tanzi reunited with her sister Shani. 

To minimise stress during the move, Tanzi underwent over two months of training to ensure she 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 presents 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 Membrey of Membrey’s Transport said.