At FedEx, every shipment has its own unique story. It could be someone’s wedding gown, life-saving medical supplies…and sometimes, a bear!  

Earlier this month, I was privileged to be part of the team that rescued a black bear-grizzly hybrid named “Ben.” As a relatively new FedEx team member, I’d heard the many stories of how FedEx had helped rescue abused animals from deplorable conditions. Now, I had the chance to help give Ben a quality of life he had never before experienced.
 
For years, Ben had been confined to an awful 12’x22’ concrete cage in a roadside North Carolina zoo. After a long battle with the zoo owner, several rescue organizations successfully won the right to move Ben from his deplorable conditions to a lush animal sanctuary in Northern California. After making the decision to donate the transportation, a forty-two person team dubbed the flight “Bear Force One”, and provided Ben with all the comforts he might need as he journeyed nearly 3,000 miles to his new home. Now Ben is roaming free in his new habitat, eating well, splashing playfully in his own pool, and sleeping in a natural den. You can see a video of him at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-saGa5H4Ii0.
 
Even though this was my first involvement in a rescue move, this one seemed a little extra special, at least to me. Maybe it was because we donated the transportation, or the fact that Ben and I share the same name, or that I was able to feed him fresh pieces of fruit and granola during his layover here in Memphis. Regardless, I felt great pride to be part of an organization that always seems to above and beyond when times are tough. And if Ben could talk, I’m quite sure he’d say “thank you” to all of us who work at FedEx.
 
Ben (the human) Hunt, FedEx Services