Live scorpion stowaway found in Zurich woman's luggage
By Jan de Boer
When returning from holiday, it is typical to bring something back home to remember it by - be it a souvenir, memento or something you should ask your doctor about. For one startled resident of Switzerland, the end of her holiday had a real sting in the tail, when she found a live scorpion in her luggage after landing in Zurich.
Woman discovers live scorpion after landing in Zurich
According to Blick, the woman from Zurich had just got back home from a holiday in Morocco. When she arrived back from the airport, she discovered a large scorpion had made a home in her luggage and immediately dialled the emergency services.
The police were quickly dispatched and a reptile specialist was hired to tell the woman what to do via mobile phone. According to the police report, authorities told her to lock the bag and leave it in the bathtub because, as we all know, scorpions cannot climb smooth surfaces.
Fat Tail scorpion one of the most venomous on the planet
When they arrived, the police managed to capture the animal with tweezers. Once in custody, further analysis revealed it was a Fat Tail scorpion, one of the most dangerous scorpions on the planet. According to Blick, Fat Tail venom is blamed for several human deaths every year.
After its run-in with the law, the scorpion was released into captivity. According to the police report, it is alive and well and now has a new home in Switzerland with the reptile specialist.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more