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Johannesburg - DHL Express recently released its annual list of quirky, strange and speedy delivery requests for 2013.
It ranged from delivering nine gorillas across two continents, to transporting the Webb Ellis trophy and a specific heart internal defibrillator.
In addition to these global shipments, a few more interesting packages, which were delivered closer to home, have come to light and are worth mentioning.
According to Sumesh Rahavendra, head of marketing for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), within the SSA region there has been an increase in strange food delivery requests with each passing year.
He said that it is now becoming an increasingly interesting exercise to pin-point which deliveries stand out above the rest.
One unique shipment to mention is a 32kg consignment of the Scottish delicacy Haggis, which was moved from the UK to Tanzania for an event.
Rahavendra said that in Kenya, live human eyes are transported on a regular basis.
”Understandably, the corneas have an extremely short life span and are therefore highly perishable, which possess a significant challenge to us," said Rahavendra.
"What adds to the complexity is the fact that the recipient is booked and prepped for surgery while the cornea is in transit.”
Another unusual personal delivery was for a customer who shipped his laundry from the United Kingdom to a Southern African country for dry cleaning.
For many people, a wedding is one of the most important and special days of their life, even at a price.
“In light of this, 1.7 tons of fresh flowers were sent from Johannesburg to Douala in Cameroon for such an occasion. This personal request came from a customer whose two sons were getting married on the same day," said Rahavendra.
He said that on the conservation front, an interesting delivery in Kenya included the transport of butterfly larvae.
“Any delay in the transport process would result in the premature hatching of the butterflies, from which they would not have survived," said Rahavendra.
It ranged from delivering nine gorillas across two continents, to transporting the Webb Ellis trophy and a specific heart internal defibrillator.
In addition to these global shipments, a few more interesting packages, which were delivered closer to home, have come to light and are worth mentioning.
According to Sumesh Rahavendra, head of marketing for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), within the SSA region there has been an increase in strange food delivery requests with each passing year.
He said that it is now becoming an increasingly interesting exercise to pin-point which deliveries stand out above the rest.
One unique shipment to mention is a 32kg consignment of the Scottish delicacy Haggis, which was moved from the UK to Tanzania for an event.
Rahavendra said that in Kenya, live human eyes are transported on a regular basis.
”Understandably, the corneas have an extremely short life span and are therefore highly perishable, which possess a significant challenge to us," said Rahavendra.
"What adds to the complexity is the fact that the recipient is booked and prepped for surgery while the cornea is in transit.”
Another unusual personal delivery was for a customer who shipped his laundry from the United Kingdom to a Southern African country for dry cleaning.
For many people, a wedding is one of the most important and special days of their life, even at a price.
“In light of this, 1.7 tons of fresh flowers were sent from Johannesburg to Douala in Cameroon for such an occasion. This personal request came from a customer whose two sons were getting married on the same day," said Rahavendra.
He said that on the conservation front, an interesting delivery in Kenya included the transport of butterfly larvae.
“Any delay in the transport process would result in the premature hatching of the butterflies, from which they would not have survived," said Rahavendra.
