HWFRS load up two huge Cape Buffalo for move to new home

On 7 April, HWFRS crews deployed to West Midlands Safari & Leisure Park (WMSP), with Large Animal Rescue (LAR) crews from Bromyard & Pershore, supported by the Ultra Heavy Rescue (UHR) crew from Droitwich.

The Service had received a request for assistance from WMSP to support them in the loading of two Cape Buffalo (Ceres and Ulrika), which were being moved to a new home.

As well as assisting a business in our local area, this provided an excellent training opportunity for the HWFRS crews.

Angela Potter, the Head of Wildlife, and Veterinary staff were on site with our crews in the early morning to carry out the final welfare checks, to ensure that both Ceres and Ulrika were ready for the journey which lay ahead of them. Both were passed as 100% fit to travel.

The early start was to ensure that the animals could reach their destination during in daylight hours, to help with their unloading at their new home.

Alex Hustwayte, Station Commander, Bromyard, Ledbury, Hereford said: ‘A full team briefing was completed, and our crews worked excellently alongside all the on-site staff.

‘There was a narrow time window that was available for the loading of the buffaloes and thanks to the specialist winching skills and equipment supplied by the UHR crew and the specialist training and equipment of the LAR teams, this was completed in a timely manner.

‘This was a great collaborative effort by all, and the teams worked extremely well together despite only having met for a brief period before the operation.

‘The WMSP staff were extremely pleased with the work of our crews.’