A Fauquier County woman returning from a recent trip to Kenya was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents after a search of her bags revealed a few unorthodox pieces of cargo.
Airport personnel searching the woman’s belongings on November 10 were surprised to discover undeclared giraffe and zebra bones, the agency announced on December 16.
The woman, whose identity was not revealed because she was not criminally charged, admitted that she found the bones during the trip and brought them back as souvenirs, the agency said.
Customs agents subsequently notified inspectors with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who confirmed on November 17 that the bones were in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Endangered Species Act, and the Lacey Act.
“I can appreciate travelers wanting to keep souvenirs of their vacations, but those souvenirs could violate United States or international law, or potentially expose our families, pets or our nation’s agriculture industries to serious animal or plant diseases,” Kim Der-Yeghiayan, the region’s acting area port director, said in the release.
On the woman’s initial border and customs declaration, she mentioned bringing back a small twig from an Acacia tree and nothing else.
“Customs and Border Protection strongly encourages all travelers to know what they can and cannot pack in their baggage before returning to or visiting the United States and to declare all items upon arrival,” Der-Yeghiayan added.
Agricultural specialists seize an average of 4,552 prohibited plant, meat, animal byproducts, and soil per day, the agency said.
To avoid those mishaps, travelers are encouraged to visit the Customs and Border Protection’s “Know before they go” website and check what objects are permissible.
Feature image courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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