\n\tThe Canada Border Services Agency says officers discovered two live tarantulas hidden inside plastic containers at the Edmonton International Airport earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\n\tIn May, officers saw irregularities in a small package from Hong Kong and found a male tarantula hidden inside a plastic container.<\/p>\n
\n\tWeeks later, an inspection of another package from the same shipper found a female spider hidden inside a children\u2019s toy plane.<\/p>\n
\n\tIt turns out the species of tarantula, which is native to Hong Kong, did not require permits to import into Canada.<\/p>\n
\n\tBut the agency says the spiders were seized because they weren’t transported humanely.<\/p>\n
\n\tThey have since found a new home at the Royal Alberta Museum.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe agency says all living creatures, including pets, must be declared when importing them into Canada in order to avoid spreading disease and introducing foreign species.<\/p>\n
\n\t“CBSA officers were able to find and rescue these two tarantulas from inhumane shipping methods. All living creatures need to be transported and imported properly to keep Canada\u2019s ecosystem and biodiversity safe,” said Lisa Laurencelle-Peace, the agency’s regional director of the Prairie region.<\/p>\n
\n\t“The CBSA works closely with its enforcement partners, including (Environment and Climate Change Canada) enforcement officers, to keep Canada\u2019s border secure and stop the illegal wildlife trade.”<\/p>\n
\n\tThis report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 14, 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n