HUH: Man Tries To Fly With Live Albino Alligator In Luggage

HUH: Man Tries To Fly With Live Albino Alligator In Luggage

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People try to travel with some pretty strange things, but this is on a completely different level.

Man tries to fly from Germany to Singapore with alligator

Süddeutsche Zeitung reports on how in late September 2022, a 42-year-old American man tried to fly from Munich to Singapore with a live albino alligator in his luggage. This is an extremely rare type of alligator, and there are estimated to be under 200 of them left in the world.

The way this unfolded, security personnel screened a bag, and noticed a strange-looking object in it. They immediately contacted customs officials. When they opened the bag, they found a roughly meter-long alligator wrapped in cling foil. The alligator was completely wrapped, except its nostrils. Suffice it to say that this posed an immediate danger to the reptile’s life.

X-ray of albino alligator in luggage
The albino alligator that was discovered in luggage

Traveler now faces criminal charges

Immediately following the discovery, German authorities took custody of the animal, and it’s once again back in good health after spending time in an animal sanctuary. The traveler now faces criminal charges for violating Germany’s Species Protection and Animal Welfare Act.

The investigators allegedly demanded a high five-figure security deposit from the traveler and confiscated his mobile phone. After that, he was allowed to continue to travel to Singapore, though of course he still faces punishment.

Details of the incident were only released weeks after the findings, so as not to jeopardize the investigation into the smuggling. It’s believed that the man was trying to smuggle to animal to Singapore to resell it, as albino alligators allegedly sell for up to 75,000 euro in Asia.

Having lived in Florida for most of my life, and being a dog lover, I can’t say I’m a huge alligator fan in general. I spent my childhood trying to walk our dogs and avoid the massive alligator that often sunbathed on the side of our property.

But of course they also deserve to live, and I’m happy this smuggler was caught. While I can appreciate that people collect some weird things, does anyone know what happens to these alligators when they’re illegally sold? Does someone want a pet albino alligator in their home, or would this rare alligator be turned into a few handbags and pairs of shoes?

Bottom line

An American man tried to travel from Germany to Singapore with a meter-long albino alligator in his luggage. Fortunately he got caught, and the animal was rescued. How cruel, selfish, and greedy, to try to transport an animal in this way, let alone to illegally trade an animal this rare.

What do you make of this albino alligator story?

Conversations (15)
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  1. Derek Guest

    There's a special place in hell for people who mistreat animals. I hope they throw the book at this disgusting individual

  2. somethingwong with them Guest

    On the Bright side, He did not eat it! But his Dog was not so Lucky, these things are a Delicacy in some circles.

  3. Brian L. Guest

    Smuggling of exotic/endangered species is a big money maker. People are often surprised when they realize how much money can be involved.

  4. Nikojas Guest

    If the man was American and flying from Munich when he was caught does that mean he had successfully transported it from the US to Germany?
    I don't think you find many alligators in the German countryside!

    1. Eskimo Guest

      Exactly my first thought, what is TSA doing?

      But then all those ESA the TSA have to deal with, maybe they don't care.

    2. Bagoly Guest

      Surprised he was not arrested and held in jail.
      It's hardly a deterrent if the only actual punishment is deportation and banning from future travel to the EU.

      Perhaps because that would have given it a higher profile and so raised your excellent question.
      Most likely possible wild sources seem to be: Florida, Australia, Thailand.
      But perhaps there are farms for them in the EU?
      So either it was imported, as...

      Surprised he was not arrested and held in jail.
      It's hardly a deterrent if the only actual punishment is deportation and banning from future travel to the EU.

      Perhaps because that would have given it a higher profile and so raised your excellent question.
      Most likely possible wild sources seem to be: Florida, Australia, Thailand.
      But perhaps there are farms for them in the EU?
      So either it was imported, as as you said, should have been picked up on previous export, or there is a farm to be found.

  5. JC Guest

    Maybe he should have not put it in baggage and instead declared it his emotional support animal.

  6. Jill Snodgrass Guest

    absolutely nothing to do with the article and I don't mean this to be published but do you know one of the ads rotating on your site calls out Biden & 'libs' as being against Asians? I certainly wouldn't think Lucky would want this kind of bs propaganda on this site.

    1. bc Guest

      Targeted ads are based on your internet activity, not Lucky's advertising. So if those are the ads you're seeing, there's probably a good reason for it.

    2. PH Guest

      His site hasn't always had pop up ads. Now they're everywhere... so annoying.

  7. Anton Rough Guest

    In the US, smuggled reptiles are typically offered to local zoos, other times to educational institutions, and other times euthanized.

  8. David Diamond

    It becomes someone’s pet. If they just wanted it for the hide and teeth, they would kill it first and tan the skin and remove the teeth. Much easier to smuggle that way.

    1. Derek Guest

      Or someone's food, and they simply want it fresh, sadly. Given the region it was going to, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, or it would have been the case after another hop from SIN

  9. Suzhi Gaoshang Guest

    Albino alligator teeth are used in Chinese medicine and are a special ingredient. It was probably going to be sold for that use.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

bc Guest

Targeted ads are based on your internet activity, not Lucky's advertising. So if those are the ads you're seeing, there's probably a good reason for it.

6
JC Guest

Maybe he should have not put it in baggage and instead declared it his emotional support animal.

5
David Diamond

It becomes someone’s pet. If they just wanted it for the hide and teeth, they would kill it first and tan the skin and remove the teeth. Much easier to smuggle that way.

2
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