A photo taken by customs officials shows some of the geckos seized.
Image: Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance
Customs officials discovered dozens of geckos in a man’s luggage at Vienna Airport. The man claimed that he wanted to feed his snakes with the reptiles – but the animals are worth a lot of money.
ICustoms officers found almost 90 reptiles in the luggage of a passenger at Vienna Airport. The 85 geckos, two snakes and two scorpions had a total sales value of 47,000 euros, as reported by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old flew to Vienna from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. When he wanted to use the exit for travelers without goods that required declaration, he was checked. To their own horror, the officials came across an initially unmanageable number of non-protected reptiles in three transport boxes, the ministry continued.
Some of the animals were handed over to the Schönbrunn Zoo in a visibly poor state of health. During his interrogation, the man claimed that the animals were worthless to him. He only took the geckos with him to feed his snakes. According to the customs officials, the prices for the geckos on the reptile market are between 250 and 600 euros.
After all: “Fortunately, there is good news for the rescued animals, which have all recovered well and have currently found a new home in Schönbrunn Zoo,” said Austrian Finance Minister Magnus Brunner.
