Wild Animals Ranging from Snakes to Scorpions, Geckos and Frogs Hid Inside Luggage of UK Tourists [Report]

Wild animals, ranging from snakes to scorpions, geckos, and frogs have been reported recently to be hiding inside the luggage of tourists going back to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The stowaway animals came from travel destinations, including Kenya, that the tourists visited. This surprising wildlife getaway was reportedly revealed by a local zoo official back in Ireland.

The latest case of these incidents involved a venomous scorpion that spent almost 12 days in the bedroom of a female tourist who recently returned home to the town of Wicklow in Ireland. It was found that the predatory arachnid hid inside the tourist's bag, which she used as luggage while traveling back to her country from Kenya.

The animal was found on the floor and underneath the bag while unpacking it.

Scorpion Found Inside Bag

During a radio appearance in Ireland recently, James Hennessey from the National Reptile Zoo, said that the traveler and her family informed the zoo for help after they realized that their venomous guest unknowingly hitchhiked from Kenya two weeks ago. The family called Hennessey after the scorpion got away from the bag and disappeared below the bed.

Following the incident, Hennessey wrote on social media that the scorpion has been kept in the zoo's venomous unit. The zoo official also told the local radio network that such incidents are not common but they are not unusual.

He added that snakes, geckos, and frogs were also recorded before as hitchhikers to tourists going back home. These cases have been reported as purely accidental and were not considered wildlife trafficking.

Hitchhiking Animals

Aside from Ireland and the UK, other locations in the world recorded several instances of animals, including pet cats and dogs, sneaking inside bags or luggage.

In 2023, it was reported that a couple returned to Guernsey after a holiday in Madeira, Portugal. Upon their arrival, they discovered a small lizard that managed to sneak in their suitcase. Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands in the English Channel, located between France and the UK.

The duo then alerted local wildlife authorities and the reptile was taken to an animal shelter.

In 2022, a ginger cat was found inside a suitcase at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The feline was found after a typical X-ray procedure for checked-in baggage revealed the hitchhiking animal. The traveler who owned the bag was reportedly shocked that the cat snuck into the luggage.

Not all hitchhiking animals are accidental, as mentioned earlier. In recent years, there have been multiple cases of wildlife trafficking, with suspected individuals involved being arrested at airports. Some animals in their bag are even alive but have been found by authorities to be in poor condition.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) considers wildlife trafficking as a global problem.