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According to Chris Newman, an expert who rescues reptiles, at least 200 creepy crawlies and some slitherers have unintentionally made their way to the UK through parcels or luggage this year. In the past month, Mr. Newman has seen an apparent increase in cases, with three venomous Chinese scorpions being shipped to the country. This trend comes as a student from the University of Bristol found a live scorpion in a parcel from fast-fashion company Shein, and a couple from Basingstoke discovered a scorpion in a package ordered from Amazon.
The director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW) said this spike in cases reported to the charity was concerning, emphasising that this increase occurred from different companies in China. This year, Mr. Newman has been made aware of 12 scorpions that have come to the UK, with most of them identified in people’s luggage. He further informed the BBC that non-native species found in packages or luggage should be contained in a glass or Tupperware and that people should not try to touch them.
Once assessed, the NCRW provides a new home for the animal found within packages or luggage. Some remain with them for educational purposes, but most are put in new homes. If it is a dangerous species, a collection service is offered by the NCRW. There are 100 drop-off points across the UK. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release any creature not native to Great Britain to the wild. If individuals find a creature they suspect is non-native, they can contact the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology for guidance.
In addition to Chinese species of scorpions seen in Bristol, Mr. Newman notes that the centre has observed a range of creatures. From European tree frogs found in a home furnishings store to venomous spiders in cases of Australian wine, the centre has seen all sorts of unexpected animals. Mr. Newman adds that keeping non-native species can be dangerous, particularly when dealing with venomous creatures that could be “medically significant”.
The National Centre for Reptile Welfare will offer advice when contacted and is open 24/7 for emergency cases throughout the year. Although there has been a spike in the past month, the service may have only been recently discovered by more people, and therefore the professionals could be seeing the ‘tip of the iceberg
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