A Wicklow woman was shocked to discover that a venomous African scorpion had hitched a ride to her home in her suitcase!
The scorpion, which has since been identified as the breed known as the Fisher’s fat-tailed scorpion, had accidentally ended up travelling over 6,000 km (4,000 mi) from its home in Kenya to County Wicklow in Ireland inside the luggage of a Wicklow woman.
The lady in question had no idea of the stowaway in her luggage, as it lay undiscovered in her bedroom for almost two weeks.
The Fisher’s fat-tailed scorpion – a venomous creature
Fisher’s fat-tailed scorpions are classed as moderate-sized scorpions that can grow up to lengths of 10 cm (just under 4 in). They are generally found in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and the Middle East.
Fattail scorpion or fat-tailed scorpion is the most common name given to scorpions of the genus Androctonus, which is regarded as being amongst one of the most dangerous groups of scorpion species on the globe. A lucky escape, then, for the people of Wicklow!
Animals travelling in luggage – not an uncommon occurrence
The scorpion defied the odds to live for two weeks before its detection in Wicklow. It survived in a local woman’s home after her return from Kenya thanks to underfloor heating, which perfectly suited its environmental needs.
“Luckily, the house the woman is living in has underfloor heating, so the scorpion was nice and toasty warm on the floor,” explained James Hennessy, Zoo Director at the National Reptile Zoo in County Kilkenny.
“It probably would have survived pretty well in the house due to the underfloor heating. The only issue is the scorpion might have dried out since floors like that are very dry”.
Hennessy also reiterated the importance of the public always checking their luggage, footwear, and clothes when travelling from foreign countries to Ireland, especially those countries home to exotic animals, as such cases have happened in the past.
National Reptile Zoo – home to many exotic animals
Hennessy also explained that while the scorpion’s sting is not considered to be lethally deadly, it still has the potential to cause pain and complications. As such, it’ll be housed in a safe and controlled environment in the venomous unit at the National Reptile Zoo.
“We are going to hang onto the scorpion. He is only small, and he is not a danger as we have him in the venomous unit where he is nice and secure,” said the zoologist. “We can use him for education for third-level colleges.
“He doesn’t have a name yet, as we don’t know if he is a boy or a girl. We don’t want to annoy him by checking just yet. He is only small, little under an inch long, about 2cm long.
“He’s already had a bit of an ordeal travelling over to Ireland, so we want to leave him alone for a bit while he settles in”.
