US Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport made an unusual discovery recently – a small box containing giraffe fecal material. The passenger responsible for the box arrived at the airport from Kenya on September 29.
According to a news release from US Customs and Border Protection, the passenger declared the giraffe feces and stated that she had obtained the droppings in Kenya with the intention of making a necklace out of them. Customs officials discovered that the traveler had previously used moose feces to make similar jewelry at her home in Iowa.
The agency’s agriculture specialists followed protocol and seized the box, destroying the excrement via steam sterilization. LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations at the agency’s Chicago field office, emphasized the danger of bringing fecal matter into the US. She stated, “If this person had entered the US without declaring these items, there is a high possibility that a person could have contracted a disease from this jewelry and developed serious health issues.”
It is important to note that bringing “ruminant animal feces” into the US requires a veterinary services permit. The agency highlighted the diseases present in Kenya, including African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, Newcastle disease, Foot and Mouth disease, and Swine Vesicular Disease.
Giraffes are native to 27 out of the 47 counties in Kenya. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation has stated that disease has played a little-understood role in the decline of giraffe populations across the country.
The seizure of the giraffe feces highlights the importance of border protection and ensuring the safety and health of individuals within the US. It serves as a reminder of the risks associated with bringing potentially harmful materials into the country without proper authorization.