A Kenyan holiday that had a sting in the tail...
A VENOMOUS scorpion made a 4,000km journey from Kenya to Ireland after hitching a ride in a Wicklow woman’s backpack.
The woman had been in the African country for a twoweek break before she unknowingly brought the two-centimetre Fisher’s fat-tailed scorpion home with her.
The creepy-crawly had made a home in a woven rug in her bag.
The venomous arachnid was not picked up when the bag was Xrayed by security in Nairobi airport after she arrived from the Laikipia area of Kenya when she was making her way home.
Laikipia is an area of the country best known for safaris.
For two weeks, the woman left her backpack half unpacked in a dark and warm wardrobe, before making the frightening discovery.
James Hennessy, director of the National Reptile Zoo in Kilkenny city, has now given the scorpion a new home.
‘When she went to finish her unpacking, the little creature jumped out, much to her shock, and legged it,’ explained Mr Hennessy. ‘The lady arrived here last Sunday with the scorpion and she recounted the story to me.’ He also said that ‘when the scorpion got out of the bag, she and her family could not find it for a day’, adding: ‘They literally pulled their house apart trying to find it.’ Mr Hennessy continued: ‘Eventually it was located by the family under the lady’s bed. ‘They used thick protective gloves during their search and when handling it as they did not know if it was of the deadly variety. Once captured, she brought it down to me and thankfully we were able to identify it.’
He said the scorpion ‘is venomous to the extent of impacting on a person’s breathing for a time’, adding: ‘I don’t know how a child would fare medically if he or she were stung.’
The reptile zoo’s director said they do not yet know the gender of the scorpion, but believe it is in its teenage years and will grow up to another two centimetres.
Mr Hennessy reiterated the importance of the public checking their clothes, luggage and footwear before returning to Ireland after going to far-flung climes.
‘Everything needs to be shaken out before travelling home,’ he explained. ‘What happened to this lady just shows how easily that foreign species can be brought in here and potentially how dangerous a situation it can be.’
Mr Hennessy added: ‘Also, we don’t need invasive species roaming around here as we do have quite a fragile eco-system.’
‘I don’t know how a child would fare’