Unicorn DHL

The Unicorn DHL project is far ahead of its time. It is based on the recent discovery of a team of white, single-horned horses in a closed-off eco-system in an inactive crater in East Africa. Researchers are currently investigating whether these horses are descendents of the mythical unicorns, believed to be extinct. If this is the case, hopes are high that the white horses can be bread to regrow their wings by activating latent genes through advanced gene splicing techniques.

The winged horses will then be trained to take flight again while carrying loads. These so-called unmanned arial livestock (UAL) will then directly compete with drones delivering parcels to remote areas. They have a distinct advantage: Unicorns do not need electricity to refuel - notoriously hard to come by in the desert regions of Africa - just a little hay will do for them. A further advantage the unicorns hold over drones is their dual use, they also provide manure.

By pairing up a unicorn each with a homing pigeon they can also become reliable navigators. This is to avoid equestrian pilots having to ride along so to maximise Unicorn Load Bearing Capacity Per Flight (ULBeCaPeF). In a far reaching scenario analysis researchers are also testing the possibility of pairing unicorns with to-be-bred chihuahua-ice-bears in an effort to sustainably hack the cool chain and future-proof the delivery of livestock vaccines to pastoralists. 

Bringing back the unicorn will thus enable off-grid dwellers in remote areas to manage herd health, send letters to grandma, order stuff online and get a cold one delivered right to their doorstep. All for an horse-apple and an egg.