A bizarre scene unfolded at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey last Friday when a Pennsylvania man was caught attempting to sneak a live turtle through security by hiding it in his pants. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was reportedly carrying the reptile when a body scanner detected an issue, which activated an alarm.
According to the Transportation Security Administration, which released a statement on Tuesday, a security officer proceeded to deliver a pat-down on the man’s groin area where it was quickly determined that the man had something unusual concealed in his pants. Upon further investigation, the man revealed what was hidden inside his pants and pulled out a red-ear slider turtle, a species commonly kept as a pet.
Wrapped in a small blue towel, the live turtle measured around five inches (12 centimetres) long. While it’s currently unclear whether the reptile was the man’s pet or not, the turtle was allegedly confiscated by local animal control officials, and the man was escorted from the checkpoint by Port Authority police. As a result, the man ended up missing his flight.
“I commend our officer who conducted the pat-down in a very professional manner in an effort to resolve the alarm,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “We have seen travelers try to conceal knives and other weapons on their person, in their shoes and in their luggage, however I believe this is the first time we have come across someone who was concealing a live animal down the front of his pants. As best as we could tell, the turtle was not harmed by the man’s actions.”
It’s worth noting that federal wildlife protection laws are strict when it comes to transporting live animals, especially endangered or invasive species. At the time of writing, the incident still remains under investigation, though it’s currently unclear whether the man was charged or faces any further penalties.
While the news continues to make the rounds online, commenters on social media were equally perplexed as they were amused by the unusual incident. Over on Youtube, one commenter quipped, “He had a turtle head poking out his pants 😂”, while another jokingly added, “That could be very dangerous especially if the little fella is hungry.”
