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Two live tarantulas have been rehomed at the Royal Alberta Museum after being discovered hidden in a toy plane and a plastic container at the Edmonton International Airport.
The spiders were found by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) on two separate occasions, in packages from Hong Kong.
In May, CBSA agents found a male tarantula hidden in a plastic container after noticing some irregularities with the package. In June, another package from the same shipper was opened and a female spider was found inside a children’s toy plane.
The CBSA said, with help from Environment and Climate Change Canada, officials found the spiders to both be a species of tarantula native to Hong Kong.
The species of spider does not require a permit to import into Canada or Export from Hong Kong, however the creatures were seized due to rules around how living creatures can be transported.
“CBSA officers were able to find and rescue these two tarantulas from inhumane shipping methods,” said Lisa Laurencelle-Peace of the CBSA. All living creatures need to be transported and imported properly to keep Canada’s ecosystem and biodiversity safe.
“The CBSA works closely with its enforcement partners, including ECCC enforcement officers, to keep Canada’s border secure and stop the illegal wildlife trade.”
The agency is reminding people travelling with or shipping living creatures that there are strict Canadian regulations for humane transportation, which requires all animals to be kept safe from harm when travelling by land, sea or air.
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