Enclosed Trailers
Flatdeck Trailers
Utility Trailers
Dump Trailers
Ag Transports
Horse & Stock Trailers
No, we’re not opening a new Flaman Trailers location in Siberia. But an interesting story unfolded this past March where trailers purchased from Flaman Trailers in Nisku played a background, but important, role in taking some special guests to the northern Russian region.
Parks Canada moved 30 Wood Bison calves from Elk Island National Park in Alberta to Lenskie Stolby National Nature Park in Sakha, Russia as a way to preserve the animals’ endangered population. This move created what is called an “out-population” in a region where bison went extinct thousands of years ago. Essentially, having these bison in Russia is an insurance policy, in case anything happens to the vulnerable population here in Canada.
So where does Flaman Trailers fit into all this? Well, as one woman quips in the documentary of the bison’s journey filmed by Discovery Channel, you can’t transport the bison in passenger seats.
The 30 calves were loaded into Southland stock trailers purchased from Flaman to make the one hour trip to Edmonton International Airport. These loaded trailers were then put on a Russian transport plane for the 10 hour flight to Yakutsk, Russia, then continued on a four hour drive along bumpy roads and a frozen river to the nature park.
These trailers had been in Russia since 2006, after they carried bison there as part of a pilot project. Almost five years later, as they were given the once over before the bison were loaded in, the trailers looked “excellent” according to the General Trades Assistant at Elk Island. I think it’s a testament to the quality of these Southland units – not only their durability but the fact they were trusted with carrying such precious cargo.
You can watch the story of the Flying Bison on Discovery Channel’s “Daily Planet” by clicking this link www.discoverychannel.ca/article.aspx?aid=31897