Somesting scary lurking in luggage
Scorpion legged it from Kenya to Wicklow in a rug
A WOMAN had a lucky escape from being stung by a scorpion which hitched a ride in her bag following a holiday in Kenya.
The Wicklow native had been in the African country for a two-week break and unknowingly brought back the Fisher’s Fat-tail creature which had made its home in a woven rug.
The venomous arachnid was not picked up when the bag was X-rayed by security in Nairobi airport on her journey from the Laikipia area of Kenya as she was making her way home.
James Hennessy, director of the National Reptile Zoo in Kilkenny city, has now given the scorpion a new home.
For two weeks, the woman had left her luggage half unpacked in a dark wardrobe. Mr Hennessy added: “When she went to finish her unpacking the little creature jumped out much to her shock and legged it.
“The lady arrived here last Sunday with the scorpion and she recounted the story to me.
“When the scorpion got out of the bag, she and her family could not find it for a day. 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.
“The scorpion is venomous to the extent of impacting on a person’s breathing for a time. I don’t know how a child
WARNING James
Hennessy from zoo would fair medically stung.”
Mr Hennessy 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.
However, he urged the public to check their clothes, luggage and footwear when returning from exotic destinations. He added: “Everything needs to be shaken out before travelling home. “What happened to this lady just shows how easily they foreign species can be brought in here and potentially how dangerous a situation it can be. Also, we don’t need invasive species roaming around here as we do have quite a fragile eco-system.”
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