A slow and slimy Giant African Snail has been intercepted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, USA.
According to a press release on the CBP’s website, the snail was found on November 8 courtesy an alert raised by a security dog – CBP Beagle “MOX” – to a traveller’s bag after arriving on a flight from Nigeria.
It is reported that apart from the live Giant African Snail, prohibited items such as goat meat (ogufe), cow skins (ponmo), melon seeds (egusi), and vegetables were found in the travelling bag.
These are all Nigerian delicacies, but are frowned at in the US.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Giant African Snail (GAS), is one of the most damaging snails in the world because it consumes at least 500 types of plants.
It is said that it threatens U.S. agricultural resources and causes extensive damage to tropical and sub-tropical environments.
However, it is unlikely that the traveller intends to release it into the American forest. GAS is a most sought-after delicacy in Nigeria.
