Canadian border officers found live tarantulas in container, toy plane at Edmonton airport
Posted August 14, 2023 12:34 pm.
Last Updated August 14, 2023 12:50 pm.
Canadian border officers made an alarming discovery while searching packages shipped from overseas at Edmonton International Airport earlier this year.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says officers found two tarantulas while they searched a pair of packages shipped from Hong Kong in the spring.
The first spider was discovered on May 12, 2023, when an officer noticed irregularities in a package. Upon inspection, a male tarantula was found hidden inside a plastic container.
On June 1, 2023, officers found a female tarantula inside a toy plane while inspecting another package from the same shipper.
“When bringing living creatures to Canada, be aware of the rules governing their importation, including procedures to protect endangered and threatened species,” reads a release from CBSA.
“Canada has strong regulations in place to facilitate the humane transport of living creatures.”
The CBSA notified Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), who identified the spiders as Phlogiellus xinping, a species of tarantula native to Hong Kong. The ECCC determined the spiders were not listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and therefore did not require permits to import into the country.
“All living creatures need to be transported and imported properly to keep Canada’s ecosystem and biodiversity safe,” says CBSA regional director Lisa Laurencelle-Peace in a statement.
“The CBSA works closely with its enforcement partners, including ECCC enforcement officers, to keep Canada’s border secure and stop the illegal wildlife trade.”
Despite what the CBSA described as “inhuman shipping conditions,” the agency says the spiders are healthy and now live at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton.
