DHL’s most unusual 2025 deliveries include antelopes, life-size bear sculptures

A rescued baboon. Antelopes. Life-size bear sculptures. A racing helmet signed by Formula One great Michael Schumacher. A football trophy.

Global logistics provider DHL Group on Dec 8 in a “special year-end review” listed these items as being among some of the most unusual items it delivered in 2025.

Bear sculptures take sea voyage to Singapore

Here is a unique delivery that ended up in Singapore.

In June, 151 life-size bear sculptures travelled 10,000km from Wustermark in Germany to Gardens by the Bay as part of a project to spread peace and tolerance.

Known as the United Buddy Bears, each weather-resistant fibreglass bear represented a country, and was designed by an artist from that nation to reflect its culture, heritage and creativity.

DHL oversaw the secure transport of the artworks.

Weighing a total of 37 tonnes, the shipment was packed into eight sea containers, loaded by crane onto trucks, and transported to the port of Hamburg.

From there, the bears began their sea voyage to Singapore, where they were displayed for two months.

Saving Saadoon the baboon

An unusual passenger boarded a DHL flight from Bahrain to Djibouti, East Africa, in November – Saadoon, a young male baboon.

He was found abandoned and in critical condition in Bahrain in 2024, at just three months old, in a country where baboons are not native.

DHL said Saadoon was a victim of illegal wildlife trade.

After more than a year of intensive care by an animal welfare organisation, he needed an environment suited to his species, and Djibouti’s climate and ecosystem offered exactly that.

DHL flew Saadoon from Muharraq in Bahrain to Djibouti airport, where he was transferred to a specialised refuge near Djibouti city.

Custom boxes, veterinary oversight, and an accompanying animal welfare representative minimised stress during the flight.

Now, Saadoon has settled into his new home at an animal sanctuary with a female baboon.

Rare antelopes go home

In February, DHL transported 17 mountain bongo antelopes from a conservation centre in Loxahatchee, Florida, to a wildlife sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest peak.

These animals are descendants of mountain bongos relocated from Kenya in the 1970s.

Today, after decades of poaching, habitat loss, and forest degradation, the species is critically endangered, with fewer than 100 surviving in the wild.

To ensure the Florida bongos’ safety and comfort on their journey, DHL provided a dedicated flight equipped with custom-built crates supplied by a wildlife protection organisation.

DHL said the animals received continuous care from a veterinarian and two bongo specialists.

Helmet with Schumacher signature tours continents

From Switzerland to Brazil, a helmet embarked on a tour across continents in March where it was signed by all 20 living F1 world champions.

The signatures included that of German race-car driver Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion who had withdrawn from public life since suffering a traumatic brain injury after a skiing accident in 2013.

DHL said his wife, Corinna, helped guide his hand to write his initials “M.S.” on the helmet.

Under strict security measures, DHL transported the helmet from Switzerland to the homes of multiple champions so they could add their signatures.

The route included stops in Ibiza in Spain, London in Britain, and Brasilia in Brazil.

South America’s iconic club football trophy on the move

In November, DHL delivered the iconic trophy for the Copa Libertadores final, South America’s most prestigious club football showdown.

The journey began at South American football body Conmebol’s headquarters in Luque, Paraguay, and ended in Lima, Peru, where the decisive match took place on Nov 29.

As Conmebol’s official logistics partner, DHL ensured the trophy’s safe and timely arrival.

Roughly 1m in height, it travelled in a custom metallic case with a special security lock and was handled exclusively with gloves to preserve its flawless shine.

Even sealed inside the case, the trophy sparked excitement – fans who spotted it often gathered to snap photos and share the moment.