A holiday maker got a shock when she returned from holiday and a killer scorpion jumped out of her suitcase.
Amy White said it then scuttled away and vanished into her flat.
The 36-year-old called in experts but the clawed arachnid had vanished
She was told it could hide for MONTHS and was likely to come out at night.
Amy was advised to wear shoes indoors and shake off clothes before wearing them.
But three weeks later she was freaked out when the stowaway scorpion appeared in the bathroom.
She was able to catch it under a plastic food container and piled books on top of it so it couldn’t scarper again.
Specialist Peter Prodromou – aka Safari Pete – then came and took it away.
It was confirmed to be a Bark Scorpion – or Centruroides limpidus – which can kill humans with their sting.
Therapist Amy, of Islington, north London said: “I didn’t like the idea of waking up at night with a deadly scorpion on me.
“But what could I do. I sort of got used to the idea that if it was going to sting me, it would.
The scorpion was finally caught on Sunday (Jul 3).
“When I saw it in the box I was shaking,” she added
“I freaked out and wouldn’t take my eyes off it. I was terrified, but adrenaline kicked in.
Chris Newman, director at National Centre for Reptile Welfare, said: “Three weeks ago, we received a phone call from a lady who had just returned from Mexico.
“And whilst unpacking her suitcase a scorpion ran out and disappeared in her flat.
“Scorpions originating from Mexico should be treated with caution, as there are many species that can be dangerous to humans in that area.
“A quick phone call to Pete and he was on his way in,
“The problem with things like scorpions is they can be really hard to find if they have not been contained.
“This one came out of the suitcase like Linford Christie on speed and just vanished,
“Pete spent the best part of two hours and couldn’t find the little bugger.
“I spoke with the lady again and gave her some general advice on what to do if she sees it.
“Its always uncomfortable in situations like this as scorpions will live quite happily in the average UK home for quite some time.”
He added: “I then got a phone call from the lady, she had found it on the floor in the bathroom and had put a container over it and placed some books on top.
“I called Pete and he was quickly on this way.
“The cavalry arrived and it all ended well.
“It looks likely to be Centruroides limpidus, which is absolutely not something you want to mess with.”
If you have enjoyed the great stories we sniffed out for you why not join our mailing list to be the first to hear about more great stories like this!
We will never spam you or sell your data to third parties. We take privacy very seriously. See Privacy Policy.
More exclusives like this, only on The Badger – Explore our stories now!
We will never spam you or sell your data to third parties. We take privacy very seriously. See Privacy Policy.
More exclusives like this, only on The Badger – Explore our stories now!
