A bear being transported on an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai on Friday caused delays after it escaped from a crate in the cargo hold.
Iraqi Airways has issued an apology after video circulated online of a male passenger saying the flight back to Baghdad was delayed “over an hour due to a bear in cargo”.
In another video, a bear cub can be seen wandering out of its crate on the plane as people pet it and try to comfort it.
The bear was sedated by a team of experts in Dubai and removed from the plane, Iraqi Airways said in a statement released to CNN .
The airline said the bear had escaped the crate “upon arrival at Dubai airport”.
“The company apologizes to passengers on the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the control of the company,” it said.
“The delay was due to a shipment in the cargo hold,” the statement added.
“Upon arrival at Dubai airport, the animal escaped from the box specified for boarding,” the airline said, adding that it was being transported in line with international animal welfare guidelines.
“The plane’s crew coordinated with the UAE authority, which sent a specialized team to sedate the animal and remove it from the plane. After checking the plane and making sure there is no damage in this incident, the flight returned to Baghdad,” the statement added.
The airline did not reveal why the bear was being transported to the UAE, nor did it provide any information about its welfare after it was sedated and taken off the plane.
This Monday (7), the Iraqi Transport Ministry told the CNN that there were indeed two bears on board the flight.
“Two small, endangered bears were flown in from Baghdad and when the flight arrived in Dubai, one of the bears broke its cage, forcing health and environment officials at Dubai Airport to sedate it,” the statement said.
A CNN contacted the Iraqi government for more details about the bears.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has instructed the country’s transport ministry to open an investigation into the bear’s escape, the prime minister’s office said on Sunday.
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Source: CNN Brasil
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