One Dead And Five Seriously Unwell Flamingos Discovered In Boxes At Airport

Authorities have discovered one dead and five seriously unwell flamingos in boxes at an airport in Mexico. Watch the animals being removed from their boxes here:

The birds were found packed into cramped boxes at Merida International Airport, in the southern Mexican state of Yucatan, and were bound for an address in the municipality of Tlajomulco de Zuniga, in the western Mexican state of Jalisco.

The American flamingos were discovered in three wooden boxes and they all had their wings clipped, inaccurate legal documentation and no microchips.

The survivors were found to be in very poor condition, suffering from dehydration and injuries.

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The Federal Attorney of Environment Protection (PROFEPA) said on social media that the creatures are listed as a threatened species in Mexico due to destruction of habitat and trafficking.

The surviving birds have been transported to Centennial Zoo in Merida to be rehabilitated.

No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.

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Last month, 119 tarantulas were found stashed inside a pair of trainers at an airport in the Philippines.

Officers noticed that a pair of Asics running shoes appeared oddly-shaped as they passed through the X-ray machine at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on 28 October.

Upon inspecting the suspicious shoes, they unearthed 119 of the arachnids stashed inside plastic vials.

The following day, the seized tarantulas (of varying species) were turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit (DENR WTMU) for proper handling.

The shoes were sent by Michal Krolicki, whose recipient was located in Cavite province, on the southern shores of Manila Bay.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero said staff were working with local officials to find the man whom the parcel was supposed to be delivered to.

He said: "Our personnel will sustain their collective effort to protect the country's premiere airport against all fraudulent attempts to import and/or export endangered wildlife species."

Topics: World News, Birds, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey