8 Rare Antelopes Rescued After Midnight Airport Drama

When Paul Reillo got the call that his eight mountain bongo antelopes were stranded in a hot cargo plane at Palm Beach International Airport, he didn't hesitate. He grabbed his team and headed into the night to save them.

On February 7, 2026, a chartered Boeing 767F carrying the critically endangered antelopes aborted takeoff due to mechanical problems. The eight animals had already been tranquilized and crated for what was supposed to be a 30-hour journey from Florida to Kenya.

By midnight, the airline confirmed the plane couldn't fly. The bongos had been stuck in their crates for 12 hours with no way out until at least the next day.

Reillo, founder of the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Loxahatchee, knew every hour mattered. "Any significant delay or flight cancellation becomes a matter of life or death for the animals," he said.

He assembled a rescue plan with his operations manager Matt Morris. Before dawn, they arrived at the disabled aircraft and discovered the cargo door was closed and the plane had no power.

The cargo area was hot and stuffy. The bongos had now spent 14 hours trapped inside.

"They were exhausted and stressed," Reillo said. One female was in critical condition, but the team managed to treat her and get her stable.

Within two and a half hours, all eight bongos were safely back at their Florida facility. "I think that's an absolute record," Reillo told reporters.

The Bright Side

While the rescue succeeded, the bigger mission hit a snag. These eight bongos were supposed to join 17 others already living in a protected sanctuary on Mount Kenya as part of a decades-long effort to save the species.

Mountain bongos are the world's largest forest antelopes and are found only in Kenya. Fewer than 100 remain in the wild due to poaching and habitat loss.

The animals will get another chance, just not this year. Weather and temperature conditions in both Florida and Kenya must align perfectly for transport, and that window has closed for 2026.

The setback means waiting another full year to send this carefully selected group of five females and three males to their ancestral home. "Now we have to make space for eight animals who were supposed to already be in Kenya," Reillo said.

The Meru Bongo and Rhino Conservation Trust in Kenya, which manages the sanctuary, remains committed to the program. "This is our 21st century moment to reverse extinction," said chairman John Kinoti.

Despite losing a year and more than $460,000 in flight costs, Reillo stays focused on what matters. "In the end, we averted a catastrophe. Saving critical species while we can is the highest calling for all of us."