Snakes Found in Luggage at Ga. Airport

Sat Sep 8, 4:00 PM

ATLANTA - Airport security officers are used to finding strange critters while screening luggage, they just don't encounter the kind that have venom too often.

A man flying into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from South Korea recently packed 30 dead snakes in jars and bottles inside boxes he checked as luggage, said Jon Allen, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.

Even though the creatures were lifeless, screeners took extra precautions because U.S. Fish and Wildlife officers warned that some of the snakes could still contain venom, Allen said.

A dead bird and pieces of several other birds also were in the passenger's boxes aboard the Korean Air flight on Aug. 15, officials said.

The passenger, whose name has not been released, faces possible fines. Federal wildlife officials are investigating.

Allen said he has no idea what the passenger intended to do with the creatures

Originally Posted by FragginDragon

Sat Sep 8, 4:00 PM

ATLANTA - Airport security officers are used to finding strange critters while screening luggage, they just don't encounter the kind that have venom too often.

A man flying into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from South Korea recently packed 30 dead snakes in jars and bottles inside boxes he checked as luggage, said Jon Allen, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.

Even though the creatures were lifeless, screeners took extra precautions because U.S. Fish and Wildlife officers warned that some of the snakes could still contain venom, Allen said.

A dead bird and pieces of several other birds also were in the passenger's boxes aboard the Korean Air flight on Aug. 15, officials said.

The passenger, whose name has not been released, faces possible fines. Federal wildlife officials are investigating.

Allen said he has no idea what the passenger intended to do with the creatures

no idea what the passenger intended to do?

i'd have possibly ASKED THE GUY what he intended to do.

i don't see the newsworthiness of this. there are many reasons people preserve animals in jars, mostly related to science, some out of personal interest, rarely out of wanting to "take down the USA" or do anything malicious.

and they're worried about the venom in a snake in a jar in a box?

i'd be concerned with that too if the plane had broken in half and was hurtling toward earth.

"what if that venom gets in my eye"

I think what they were mostly interested in was the possible importation of endangered or restricted animals into the US without proper documentation. Dead or alive, if the U.S. allowed such unauthorized importation, it would be seen as condoning the practice of exploiting said creatures no matter where the exploitation actually occurred. Also, bringing in dead, unpreserved animals (the birds) means possible importation of unintended hitchhikers (external or internal parasites) which could theoretically harm our indigenous fauna. IMHO.

Originally Posted by FragginDragon

I think what they were mostly interested in was the possible importation of endangered or restricted animals into the US without proper documentation. Dead or alive, if the U.S. allowed such unauthorized importation, it would be seen as condoning the practice of exploiting said creatures no matter where the exploitation actually occurred. Also, bringing in dead, unpreserved animals (the birds) means possible importation of unintended hitchhikers (external or internal parasites) which could theoretically harm our indigenous fauna. IMHO.

if we let people bring in preserved animals, the whole world would think we're monsters, err, well, nevermind

just playing devil's advocate. no telling what the whole story would really reveal. it's like they were trying to build on the "smuggling 1000 cobras and rare reptile" type stories with something that really didn't fit. most people don't know the difference in north and south korea so any incoming korean is a bad thing to them. getting closer to 9/11, i felt like they may be playing on a few irrational, uneducated fears for a story.

that's what they do though.

sadly, a woman died locally due to tainted lettuce (e. coli). imported vegetables have killed more people with viruses and bacteria than have animals.

i've personally never liked the sound of the phrase "a head of lettuce".

creepy.

You have every right to play devil's advocate, the whole "big brother is watching you" and "be afraid, be very afraid" mentality that is proliferated by the 'powers that be' troubles me more than any Korean bringing in preserved snakes. We never really do know the whole story.

Originally Posted by FragginDragon

You have every right to play devil's advocate, the whole "big brother is watching you" and "be afraid, be very afraid" mentality that is proliferated by the 'powers that be' troubles me more than any Korean bringing in preserved snakes. We never really do know the whole story.

it also seems to be more and more acceptable to make up "facts" too. i've had it happen to me. most of the time, fish and game and other agencies will send out a press release but i guess, to keep from repeating the same story over and over between papers, some "reporters" basically throw their own "facts" in there and then it gets out of hand. it becomes a workshop in creativity where NEWS is supposed to be the agenda lol.

oh well. gotta keep our heads up and weather the storm.

I think he forgot that in order to recreate the "Snakes on a Plane" movie you need snakes that are alive, not dead...