Reptile centre says rise in exotic stowaway calls may be due to awareness
The National Centre for Reptile Welfare has seen calls about exotic creatures in luggage more than double, but its director says the rise may reflect growing awareness rather than more stowaways.
The Full Story
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Holidaymakers returning to the UK are being urged to check their suitcases after a sharp increase in reports of exotic creatures stowing away in luggage. The National Centre for Reptile Welfare says the number of calls it has received from people who discovered such animals after coming home has more than doubled over the past year.
In an interview, the centre's director, Chris Newman, said the most common finds are house geckos, which account for about half of all cases. But he added that snakes, scorpions, spiders, frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and praying mantises can also sneak into bags and travel back to Britain.
Newman cautioned that the rise in calls may not mean more animals are actually arriving. The centre only began specialising in stowaway cases four or five years ago, and he said growing public awareness of its work could be skewing the numbers. With around 95 million trips made abroad from the UK each year, he said it was unsurprising that some animals slip through.
He stressed that anyone who finds a creature should try to contain it rather than release it into the wild. Releasing non-native species can harm the animals themselves and pose a risk to native wildlife. The centre runs a 24-7 emergency line, and callers are asked to send a photo so the animal can be identified and collected.
Newman also advised checking clothing and shoes before packing, as geckos often hide in garments hung in wardrobes, while toads and frogs may climb into trainers. Simple checks could help reduce the number of accidental stowaways entering the country.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| Calls about exotic creatures found in luggage have more than doubled over the past year. | |
| House geckos account for about 50% of the animals found. | |
| The director said the increase in calls may be due to the centre becoming better known, not necessarily more stowaways. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on a practical interview with the director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, giving viewers direct advice on what to do if they find an exotic creature in their luggage. It also highlighted the director's view that the increase in calls may be due to the centre becoming better known, rather than a genuine rise in stowaways.
- “by far the most common animal we will see will be lizards, house geckos or tropical house geckos. They account for about 50% but we see snakes, scorpions, spiders, frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, prey and mantis.”
- “So I'm not sure it's clear the numbers are going up. This is an issue that we took on about four or five years ago. Previously it was something that actually somebody come back with something they found it very difficult to get help and advice with the animals.”
- “It's really important not to let them go. Some people might be tempted, oh, I'll let him go out doors and he'll be happy and survive. That's really what we discourage that that's extremely bad practice for welfare for the animal and it has potential impact for our own native species.”
Broadcast Timeline
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