Wind your neck in? How flight crews rose to the challenge of taking dozens of giraffes from South Africa to China

It was a tall order. Xinzheng International Airport in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, specialises in transporting imported exotic animals to various destinations.

But the alpacas, sheep and pandas it has previously flown under its “Animal Airway” service were a relatively diminutive challenge compared with its latest task: receiving 66 young giraffes that had travelled 11,250km from South Africa.

So air officials crafted a plan that would ensure their long-necked cargo from the African savannah would be loaded and delivered safely to new homes in zoos in Beijing and across China.

It was particularly important to make certain the animals would be able to adjust quickly to their new environment, an airport official was quoted as saying by China News Agency on Tuesday.

One thing the airport team had going for them was that the young giraffes had not yet reached their full height. At two metres tall, the creatures were easier to transport than adult giraffes that can grow to up to six metres – making them the world’s tallest land animals.