An orphan chimpanzee has been rescued from the illegal bushmeat trade in the Republic of Congo and delivered to her new home at a UK animal sanctuary by courier.

Chocolat spent 20 years in Kenya, being looked after by her original rescuer, after her family were hunted and killed when she was an infant.

Now DHL Express has delivered her to Monkey World in Dorset in a tailor-made “VIP” crate.

The journey, which was planned to reduce the amount of time Chocolat spent in transit, began at Nairobi airport on August 15 and involved a brief stop in Bahrain before arriving at East Midlands Airport the following day, with the chimp then being transported to Monkey World by road.

A DHL spokeswoman said: “Throughout the journey DHL Express provided Chocolat with VIP service, transporting her in a custom-built crate supported by a team of specialist keepers, aircraft engineers, cargo handlers, security personnel, and pilots.

“Throughout the trip Chocolat snacked on fresh fruit, nuts and sweet potato.”

At Monkey World, keepers have upgraded Chocolat’s enclosure, including lower platforms, new nesting areas, and cargo nets which have been designed to make it as accessible as possible.

Monkey World director Dr Alison Cronin said “We’re so happy to welcome Chocolat.

“The reason we exist is to offer a nurturing environment for chimpanzees and other primates and to give them back a fraction of what has been taken from them by humans, providing them with a family again.

“Companionship of their own kind is vital to chimpanzees’ wellbeing, as they are social, intelligent animals.

“Living in family groups in as natural an environment as possible is the best kind of rehabilitation we can provide to chimpanzees like Chocolat.

“Her integration will be gradual, but her journey has been very smooth, thanks to the support of DHL and so far, she is settling in well.”

Cain Moodie, of DHL Express in Europe, said: “It has been an honour to help Chocolat the chimp relocate to her new home at Monkey World.

“The logistics of transporting her were quite challenging, but our team of experts, in collaboration with Monkey World and her carers in Kenya, took every possible measure to ensure her journey was safe and comfortable.

“It’s a real pleasure for everyone at DHL when we can use our skills and network to contribute to projects such as this.”