A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) dog recently made a rather peculiar discovery at Boston Logan Airport. The passenger in question had returned from a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, claiming that their luggage contained dried fish.
However, upon closer inspection, the CBP agents found something more unexpected: four mummified monkeys.
These unfortunate monkeys were not merely dried; they were dead and dehydrated.
The traveller admitted to bringing them into the U.S. for personal consumption, but little did they know that raw or minimally processed meat from wild animals, often referred to as “bushmeat,” is strictly prohibited due to the risk of disease transmission. In particular, the Ebola virus is a significant concern associated with such imports.
Although no charges were filed, all the luggage was seized, and the nearly 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of bushmeat were marked for destruction by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It’s a bizarre tale of unexpected cargo and a vigilant canine companion who sniffed out more than just fish.
